The 66 Tamil Nadu fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of illegal fishing in Lankan waters after crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and released on Monday, were being repatriated on Tuesday.
Sources at the Mandapam station of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said the Sri Lankan navy would handover the fishermen to the ICG at 11 am at the IMBL, south of Point Calimere and would be taken to Karaikal around 5 pm.
ICG vessel Vishwast, from Chennai was presently at the Palk Bay and it would receive the fishermen at the IMBL. The fishermen were in judicial custody in Jaffna prison after they were arrested since June.
After the Tamil Nadu government had ordered the release of the Lankan fishermen on Monday, the Sri Lankan government, in a reciprocal gesture, had ordered the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen. The Point Pedro and Kayts courts had set free the fishermen on Monday.
he fishermen being repatriated included 26 from Pudukottai district, 28 from Nagapattinam and 12 from Rameswaram. Their trawlers, were, however detained by the Lankan authorities.
The Point Pedro court while ordering the release of 28 Tamil Nadu fishermen refused to release 15 fishermen from Karaikal and extended their judicial remand till January 5.
Expressing concern over the detention of Karaikal fishermen, Mr U Arulanandham, President of the Alliance for the Release of Innocent Fishermen (ARIF) said it was intriguing as why the Lankan government refused to release them. He appealed to the authorities to order their release ahead of Christmas and New year celebrations.
