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60 Indian fishermen arrested this week, 77 sent back last week as “goodwill gesture”
View(s):More than 60 Indian fishermen were arrested this week for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters off the northern sea, on two separate instances. This follows the repatriation last week of 77 Indian fishermen as a “gesture of goodwill”, the Navy said. Along with the fishermen 15 bottom trawlers were also seized.
On Monday, the Navy with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Coastguard arrested 49 Indian fishermen for poaching off Delft island in Jaffna. Twelve bottom trawlers were also seized.
The arrested fishermen were from Nagapattinam and Jegathapattinam regions of Tamil Nadu. The fishermen claimed that at least 15 Navy vessels surrounded them at midnight and the arrests continued until early morning the next day. The Acting Magistrate of Kayts courts remanded them for 14 days.
Two days later, 12 fishermen along with three bottom trawlers were taken into custody once again off Delft island, Jaffna. They were remanded until August 23.
Following these arrests Tamil Nadhu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to take up the issue of continuing arrests saying there was unwarranted display of military power on the part of the Lankan Navy against “poor innocent Indian fishermen.”
“Sri Lankan Navy terrorised our fishermen by ramming their boats with armoured Naval vessels and en masse arrested nine fishermen with 12 boats. ..I also request you to direct the Ministry of External Affairs to secure the immediate release of the fishermen and their boats,” the letter said.