TN coastal police to probe assault on fishermen by Lankan Navy

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu coastal police have commenced investigation into the assault of 12 fishermen from the state and Puducherry by Sri Lankan navy officials near Kodiyakarai.

The fishermen returned to their coasts late on Wednesday evening, a day after the incident.

According to sources, the state coastal police will investigate whether the Sri Lankan navy had crossed into the Indian waters and assaulted the fishermen.

The fishermen - five each from Myladuthurai and Karaikal, and two from Nagapattinam had ventured into the sea from the Karaikal fishing harbour on Monday in a mechanised boat,' Mala'.

The incident took place late on Tuesday night when the fishermen had spread their net and were waiting for the catch.

Ivas - a fisherman from Karaikal who was on board the boat - said, "The Sri Lankan Naval officers chased us while we were fishing near Kodikkarai. The Sri Lankan Naval officers chased us and entered our boat and started assaulting us. They had even taken away our catch and our mobile phones."

R. Bhaktavalsalam, fishermen association leader of Myladuthurai, told IANS, "This has now become a routine, on and off our fishermen are being attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy. They are assaulting our men and have robbed them of their catch. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin must immediately take this up with the Prime Minister and work out a permanent solution to this."

The fishermen association leaders said that even after conducting several protests, the issue of the Sri Lankan Navy attacking Indian fishermen is on the high. They said that they need strong involvement from the Centre so that fishermen from Tamil Nadu work peacefully in seas.