Govt must trace missing Kasimedu fishermen: Assn

The missing persons were identified as K Madhi, K Pughazendi, Stephen Raj, Karuthakannu, Paulraj, Durai Raj, Madhi (all hailing from Royapuram) and Kerala-based Sunil Kumar, who accompanied the fishermen.

Earlier this week, the mechanised boat owner, A Nandan lodged a complaint with Fishing Harbour police stating that the eight fishermen who ventured into the sea on June 4 had not returned. According to informed police sources, the Andhra Pradesh Fisheries department and marine police had found the capsized boat near its coast. Andhra police, who took pictures of the TN boat (bearing the registration number TN02 MO 1752), informed their counterparts about the same, but the status of fishermen is yet to be known.

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Tuesday met the family members of the missing fishermen and assured that the government would render necessary search and rescue assistance.

Meanwhile, the Akila Indhiya Meenavar Sangam (AIMS) has blamed the authorities for not doing enough to trace the missing fishermen. Stating that four search and rescue vessels owned by the Fisheries department were not lying unused since the 2004 Tsunami, the association has petitioned the Chennai coast guard and the State Fisheries department seeking a thorough search operation in the mid sea. Efforts to reach out to the state fisheries department officials on this issue proved futile.