15 fishers released by SL back home

CHENNAI: The 15 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Coast Guard recently returned to Chennai on Thursday.

The 15 fishermen went out to the sea this month. On July 9 Sri Lankan Coast Guards surrounded the fishermen and arrested them and seized their boats for crossing the international maritime boundary line. The families of all the arrested fishermen requested Chief Minister MK Stalin to take steps to release them immediately.

The Chief Minister requested the Centre to take action and then with the help of the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka, the fishermen were released and they were handed over to the Indian officials a few days ago. The embassy officials arranged for their travel documents and early on Thursday the fishermen reached Chennai airport in an Air India flight. At the airport, the officials from the Fisheries Department welcomed the fishermen and arranged transport for going back to their native places.