Released from Lankan prison, 8 Pudukkai fishermen return to city

CHENNAI: Eight fishermen from Pudukkottai, who were arrested by Sri Lankan Coast Guard last month, returned to Chennai on Tuesday. As they were fishing on September 20, the men were surrounded and arrested by the Lankan personnel for allegedly crossing the maritime border. Their boat was also seized. The fishermen were then taken to Lanka and lodged in a jail there. After their families reached out to the State government urging it to take steps to secure their release, Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre’s assistance to bring back the men from Lankan prison. The Indian embassy in Sri Lanka intervened in the issue and secured the release of the eight men. After they were handed over to the embassy, the officials there arranged tickets and emergency visas for the fishermen, who reached Chennai airport on an Air India flight on Tuesday morning. The officials from the Fisheries Department arranged the transport to take them to their native.