The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 14 fishermen from Rameswaram of Tamil Nadu on charges of fishing across the border.
Ten fishermen went fishing in a motorboat of one Maran from the Pamban South Fishing Port. They were apprehended near the Kalpitiya sea area and were taken to the Puttalam Naval Base.
The Sri Lankan Navy has informed that after initial questioning of the fishermen, they have been handed over to the Puttalam Fisheries Department. Similarly, four fishermen from Thiruppalaikudi who went fishing have also been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and taken to Kankesan Port in Sri Lanka. They will be produced in court soon, officials have said.
The arrest of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of straying into their waters is becoming a recurring story. The Tamil Nadu government has been continuously pressuring the Central government on the issue.
Over 40 Indian fishermen have been arrested and their fishing boats impounded by Sri Lanka in the last one and a half months, putting their lives in jeopardy. The families of the fishermen have demanded that the Indian government immediately intervene and rescue the fishermen who were previously arrested and have been languishing in Sri Lankan jails, and that a permanent solution be found to stop further arrests.
The fishermen of Rameswaram are worried due to the continued arrests of their brothers.
Source: ETV Bharat
--Agencies
