TIRUCHY: The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 13 fishermen from Pudukkottai on charges of crossing the IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line) and seized three mechanised boats during the wee hours of Thursday.
This has taken the number of Indian nationals apprehended this year by the island nation's navy, which has also seized 35 boats so far in 2024, to 252, this year.
According to sources, a group of fishermen from Jegathapattinam and Kottaipattinam ventured into the sea on Wednesday. Five fishermen, R Selvakumar (41) (owner of the boat), S Vijaya Priyan (21), S Vijaya Prakash (16), P Kasiraja (68), and V Sekar (60) all from Jegathapattinam set sail in a boat, while in another boat I Manikandan (37) (owner), V Subash (26), R Rahmadullah (38), M Thirumurugan (27) also from Jegathapattinam followed them.
Meanwhile, in another boat owned by M Kalandar Naina Mohammed (35), K Chandrasekar (42), M Manikandan (25), M Karthik (23), and M Jayakumar (53) all from Kottaipattinam also ventured into the sea.
While the fishermen were casting the net off the Kottaipattinam coast, they were chased by a fast craft of the Sri Lankan Navy and Coast Guard claiming that they had trespassed into Sri Lankan waters off the Deft Island. The Lankan navy apprehended all the 13 fishermen, seized their three boats, and took them to the Kankesanthurai harbour where they were handed over to the Mayiladi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, tension gripped the coastal hamlets of Pudukkottai after the information about the arrest of fishermen had spread in the region.
They also appealed to the government to immediately hold diplomatic talks with the neighbouring country to end the menace. They also announced that an indefinite strike would be launched to press their demands.