Sri Lankan court releases 22 fishermen from TN with conditions

TIRUCHY: A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday ordered the release of 22 Indian fishermen apprehended on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing. The released fishers would be handed over to the Indian Coast Guard and they are expected to return to their native places in a couple of days.

Sources said, on June 21, as many as 22 fishermen from Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram who were fishing off the coast near Mandapam in four mechanised boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of crossing the IMBL. They were taken to Kankesanthurai harbour and later handed over to Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings. The fishermen were later produced before the court and the judge remanded them under judicial custody till July 5. Subsequently, they were lodged in the Jaffna prison.

This created an uproar among the fishermen from Tamil Nadu, particularly from the coastal hamlets of Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram. The fishermen associations demanded the state and Centre to initiate steps for the release of the fellow fishers through diplomatic talks.

Chief Minister MK Stalin also wrote a letter to the Union government to take steps for the release of the apprehended fishermen.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, as the judicial custody of the fishers ended, they were produced before the court again and the judge ordered a release on condition that they should not repeat the offence and cross the IMBL by all means. They were later ordered to be handed over to the Indian officials.

Local sources said that all the released fishermen would reach Chennai by Saturday after the completion of the legal proceedings.