‘Jailed Kumari fishermen will be freed soon’

The fishermen representatives, who had submitted the case to the union government, said that Union Minister’s private secretary had written to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassy in Dubai.

“So, we are confident that the fishermen will be released soon,” the representatives said.

Sources said that seven fishermen, Mellur Jarom, Alphone Maria John, Chinnappan Johnson, Ramaseyan Arun Singh, John Bosco Ananth, Gunaseelan Jehiskhan and Sahaya Raj, were all from different coastal villages of Kanniyakumari district.

Soon after the arrest, Justin Antony, founding president, International Fishermen Development Trust (INFIDET), had submitted a memorandum to the Central Government via Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan to take steps to release and bring them back to India. Meanwhile, A Manohar, Additional Private Secretary to Pon Radhakrishnan, had written a letter to officials attached to External Affairs Ministry and also to the Indian Embassy at Dubai to take steps for the immediately release of the fishermen and for their return journey to India.