27 TN men held by Sri Lankan Navy

Ramanathapuram deputy director of fisheries E Kathavarayan said the Fisheries department was informed of the incident at 6.30 am.

Among those detained, 21 fishermen belonged to Nambuthalai, a coastal village in Ramanathapuram district, while the rest hail from Pudukkottai and Nagapattinam districts.

After making enquires, Kathavarayan said the fishermen on board four country boats set sail on Friday. “It was unfortunate that the boats crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and drifted into the Lankan waters after the sea turned rough. They were taken to Kangesan Thurai naval base for inquiry and later handed over to Jaffna Fisheries department officials,” he said.

The families of three detained fishermen submitted a petition to the Ramanathapuram Collector as well as Fisheries department officials to help secure their release at the earliest.