Released from Lankan prisons, 32 TN fishermen arrive in city

CHENNAI: Thirty-two fishermen from Rameswaram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and Karaikal had gone fishing during the last week of February. On February 26, the Lankan coast guard surrounded them for crossing the border, seized their boats and arrested them. Later, the families of the fishermen requested the State and the Centre to take steps to release the fishermen as soon as possible. Following that, with the help of the Indian embassy in Sri Lanka, all the fishermen were released from prison last week and were handed over to the Indian embassy officials.

Sources said the embassy arranged tickets and travel documents for the fishermen and since two of them tested positive for COVID they were admitted to the hospital for treatment. On Wednesday morning 32 fishermen reached the Chennai airport on the Air India flight and they were allowed to exit at 6.30 am after completing the immigration check-up. The officials welcomed the fishermen and arranged transport for all of them to travel to their natives.