12 TN fishermen arrested by Lanka return to Chennai

CHENNAI: As many as 12 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard returned to Chennai on Friday.

The 12 fishermen from Nagapattinam went fishing in the sea last month. When they were in the middle of the sea, the Coast Guard team surrounded the fishermen for crossing the marine border, seized the boats and arrested them. They were later lodged in Lankan prison. Families of the arrested men requested the State government to help to release them.

Later, the Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister and the Home Ministry to help to secure their release. With the help of the Indian embassy, all the fishermen were released from prison two days ago and they were handed over to the Indian embassy.

The embassy arranged tickets and emergency visas for the fishermen and they reached the Chennai airport on Friday early morning from Colombo in an Air India flight. At the airport, officials from the fisheries department welcomed them and arranged transport to their natives.