RELEASED TN FISHERMEN SET TO RETURN HOME

A Sri Lankan court has ordered the release of 27 fishermen who were taken into custody by the Lankan Navy recently along with their four boats. The fishermen are expected to leave for India later today and are expected to be in Tamil Nadu by tomorrow, Indian media reports.

According to fisheries department officials and president of the ‘Innocent Fishermen’s Association’ U Arulanandam, the court ordered their release.

They said the Jaffna court had also ordered for release of the four boats and these vessels be taken along with the fishermen to Talaimannar.

The fishermen, who belonged to Karaikal and Nagapattinam, were arrested on December 23 when they were fishing in the Lankan maritime area, police said. The fishermen would arrive in India shortly, they said.

Lankan Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya had said on December 24 that the Indians were arrested for “poaching inside Sri Lanka international maritime border limits off the eastern coast”, PTI reports.