TN fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard return to Chennai
A group of 21 fishermen from Rameshwaram went fishing to the sea on two boats on March 16
Fishermen released from Sri Lanka land at Chennai (ANI)
CHENNAI: As many as 19 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard returned to Chennai on Tuesday night.
A group of 21 fishermen from Rameshwaram went fishing to the sea on two boats on March 16.
When they were in the middle of the sea the Sri Lankan Coast Guard surrounded the fishermen for crossing the maritime border, seized their boats and all of them were arrested and sent to prison.
Following that the families of the fishermen requested the state and central government to take steps to release them and then with the help of the Indian embassy in Sri Lanka the 19 fishermen were released from prison and handed to the Indian officials.
The two fishermen who drove the boats were sentenced to imprisonment for six months.
On Tuesday night the 19 fishermen reached the Chennai airport on the Air India flight which arrived from Colombo and they were welcomed by the officials from the fisheries department who also arranged transport for travelling to their native villages.
