TN fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Coast Guard, returned
The other two fishermen were sentenced to prison for six months and another fisherman who was caught for the second time was sentenced to prison for one year.
Representative image (Photo: Sethu)
CHENNAI: As many as 20 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard returned to Chennai on Tuesday.
A group of 23 fishermen from Rameshwaram went fishing in the sea in the first week. When they were in the middle of the sea the Sri Lankan Coast Guard surrounded the fishermen and seized their boats for crossing the border and then all 23 of them were arrested and sent to prison.
After the incident, the families of the fishermen requested the State and Central governments to take steps to release the fishermen and then with the help of the Indian Embassy on February 16, 20 fishermen were released from the prison and were handed to the Indian embassy officials.
The other two fishermen were sentenced to prison for six months and another fisherman who was caught for the second time was sentenced to prison for one year.
Following that the Embassy officials arranged the tickets and travel documents for the fishermen and all 20 of them reached Chennai on the Air India flight that arrived on Tuesday evening.
They were welcomed by the officials from the fisheries department and the government officials arranged transport for their native villages.
The fishermen requested the officials to take steps to release the three fishermen who are in prison in Sri Lanka.
