“The fishermen were released, without  their fishing vessels, after being formally produced in Judicial Magistrate Courts (JM) at Puttalam, Mannar, Mallakam and Kaytes,” said U.Arulanandam, President of Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen (ARIF).

The Indian High Commission officials in Colombo were making arrangements for the repatriation of all the 99 released fishermen to their native places in a couple of days, he said.

Based on the release order issued by the Sri Lanka government in a goodwill gesture, 49 fishermen from Ramanathapuram district, 20 fishermen from Thoothukudi  district, 19 from Pudukottai district, eight   from Nagapattinam district and three  from Thanjavur district were freed by the Lankan courts.

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