: A country boat fisherman from Pamban suffered head injury, while another escaped unhurt, when the Sri Lankan navy allegedly pelted stones against them after opening fire in the air, when they were fishing on the high seas on Tuesday night.
A group of country boat fishermen had set out for fishing from Pamban north-sea around 2 pm on Tuesday and they were in the boats after laying the nets near Katchatheevu islet around 8 30 pm, when the Sri Lankan navy attacked them for poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
As they could not afford to cut away the nets and withdraw immediately, the fishermen were pulling the nets with the help of winches, when the Sri Lankan navy opened fire in the air and started pelting stones, the fishermen said.
S Royappan (35) who was pulling the net was hit by a stone and suffered deep gash in his head above his left ear. After covering the wound with a cloth, the fishermen returned to the shore around 4 30 am and went to the Government hospital in Pamban, his brother S.Jayabalan, who was fishing with him, said.
