A Sri Lankan court on Monday sentenced eight fishermen from Thoothukudi, who had allegedly strayed into the island nation’s waters, to undergo imprisonment for three months. The court also imposed a fine of SLR 60 lakh (nearly ₹26 lakh) on them, according to sources in the Fisheries Department.
The sentence was passed by the Puttalam court, and the fishermen — C. Anthony, A. Rubinson, N. Wilfred, M. Vijay, J. Ramesh, P. Esakkimuthu and M. Korthamuniyan — all residents of Threspuram, and S. Arockiyam of Mappillaiyurani, were lodged in the Negombo prison.
They had set sail from Threspuram on August 18, and were captured by the Sri Lankan navy three days later.
Boat seized
The family members of the fishermen claimed that the Sri Lankan Navy entered the Indian territory and caught the fishermen who were 20 nautical miles into the sea from the Pamban bridge in Rameswaram, and took them into the Sri Lankan waters and arrested them. Their boat was also seized.
Their family and members of a Threspuram country boat fishermen association submitted a petition to the Collector seeking the assistance of the Chief Minister and Fisheries Minister for securing the release of the fishermen.
