Sri Lankan Navy apprehends 14 Mayiladuthurai fishers, boat
The fishermen were taken to Kankesanthurai in northern Sri Lanka for further inquiry
Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested (Photo/Daily Thanthi)
TIRUCHY: As many as 14 fishermen from Mayiladuthurai were apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy for reportedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the wee hours of Monday.
According to Coastal Security Group personnel from Nagapattinam, a crew of 14 fishermen from Mayiladuthurai ventured into sea by a mechanised boat owned by R Manickam of Vanagiri in the district on November 4 and their boat had a technical snag in the mid sea and so the repair work was carried out with the help of the fishermen from Jegathapattinam in Thanjavur and they resumed their venturing from Jegathapattinam on Saturday.
While they were fishing in mid sea on Monday early hours, Sri Lankan naval personnel, who were patrolling the area as part of a routine surveillance mission, intercepted the boat and arrested all the 14 fishermen who were identified as R Rajendran (32), K Sivadas (20), K Kulanthaivel (27), V Ranjith (30), S Raj (30), L Kalai (30), G Gokul (28), M Prasad (32), V Akilan (27), B Akash (27), R Robin (29), Govind (40) and N Bharathi (40) all from Vanagiri in Mayiladuthurai and arrested them.
The Sri Lankan Navy also seized their boat and took them to the Kankesanthurai Naval Base in northern Sri Lanka for further inquiry.
The information about the apprehension had spread among the fishers like wildfire and they expressed deep concern over the incident, urging both the Indian and Sri Lankan governments to ensure the early release of the detained crew.
“These fishermen did not intentionally cross the boundary; the drift occurred due to a mechanical failure,” said K Muthu, a functionary of Tamil Nadu Mechanised Boat Fishermen’s Association. He also appealed to the Indian government to engage in diplomatic talks with Colombo to secure their release.
Meanwhile, officials from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department have informed the Indian High Commission in Colombo about the detention. Efforts are reportedly underway to verify the identities of the arrested fishermen and to coordinate with Sri Lankan authorities for their release.
The state government is expected to submit a detailed report to the Union Ministry of External Affairs seeking its intervention on humanitarian grounds.
