Harassed and shot at, say injured duo

According to fishermen sources, a team of personnel on board the ICG Ship Rani Abbakka, who were patrolling in the sea off Rameswaram on Monday evening, had chased a boat in which six fishermen were present and as the fishermen were pulling their nets back from the sea and subsequently opened fire. Two fishermen, Pichai and Johnson, suffered injuries in the attack. 

Even before reaching the shore, the fishermen had circulated the image of the bullet that was fired at them. This had triggered tension in the fishing hamlets in Rameswaram. 

As soon as they returned to the shore on Tuesday, the injured were taken to the Rameswaram GH. One of the injured, Pichai, told the media that besides their boat, five others were also fired at by the ICG. Unfortunately, except he and another fisherman on their boat, no one was injured.

“First, the ICG ship came close and asked us to stop. At that time, we were pulling back the nets from the waters, so we were not able to heed their order. As the ICG personnel were unaware of it, they started issuing warnings. As out boat continued to move, they opened fire at us,” explained Pichai. 

It is said that the fishermen had to duck to save themselves from the bullets. However, one of the bullets had injured them, said the fishermen.

Later, some ICG personnel came to their boat in a fibre boat. They began a conversation in Hindi which the fishermen could not understand. But, one of the officials was a Tamil-speaking personnel and he translated it to us, said Pichai.

Another injured fisherman, Johnson, said that the personnel harassed them as they could not understand Hindi. They had told them that they were facing the wrath of higher officers because of the fishermen.

As news of the return of the injured fishermen spread, locals gathered before the hospital. Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader, Velmurugan, visited the Rameswaram GH and inquired with the fishermen about their condition. He then demanded the Central government to take action on the ICG personnel involved in the incident.