In a great relief to the family members and the fishermen community, a Sri Lankan court ordered release of 15 fishermen from Rameswaram, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on July 9 on various charges, including poaching in the territorial waters of the island nation.
Following appeals for their release from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the Union government wrote to the Sri Lankan government to release the jailed fishermen.
When 15 fishermen from Rameswaram were fishing in the sea in mechanised boats, they were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy allegedly in the territorial waters of the country on July 9. The fishermen were also said to be using banned fish nets. After being produced in a court, the fishermen were jailed in Sri Lanka. Their boats were impounded by the authorities.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday, the Sri Lankan court ordered their release with the condition that they should not enter the Sri Lankan waters in future. In the event of violation of the condition, they would be jailed, the order said, Jesu Raja, a fishermen leader, told The Hindu here.
The Sri Lankan court had posted the case to August 4 and directed the boat owners to appear before it with valid documents for the release of their boats, Mr. Jesu Raja added.
The released fishermen were handed over to the Indian authorities in Sri Lanka by the Jaffna Prison authorities.
