A fisherman was injured when Indian fishing boats were attacked, allegedly by Sri Lankan naval personnel, near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) at Kachchatheevu late on Monday.
The attackers, who came in a high-speed patrolling vessel, allegedly pelted the fishermen with stones. Several fishermen took evasive action and escaped. K. Selvaraj (48) was hit by a sharp stone.
He started bleeding profusely and fellow fishermen came to his aid.
Since his condition was deteriorating, he was brought ashore and admitted to hospital.
“As many as 15 navy men were on board the big vessel. Though the other crew members of my boat and other boats managed to escape, I was hit on my head,” Mr. Selvaraj told The Hindu.
He said that the fishing boats could not escape immediately as they were virtually at the mercy of the Sri Lankan Navy for about an hour. This delayed their departure to shore for treatment.
U. Arulanandam, State Representative for the Alliance for the Release of Innocent Fishermen (ARIF), said that it was unfortunate that the Sri Lankan Naval personnel indulged in stone throwing like civilians. The State and the Centre should take note of the incident.
