In separate incidents, 15 fishermen of coastal Nagapattinam district sustained injuries after being allegedly attacked mid-sea and robbed of their fishing gear by groups of unidentified persons, who came in boats, on Monday.
The incidents reportedly occurred between 5.30 p.m. and 11 p.m., about 16-22 nautical miles southeast of Arcotthurai coastal village in Nagapattinam district, a senior Fisheries Department official said.
While nine injured fishermen were admitted to the Vedaranyam Government Hospital, the other six were undergoing treatment at the Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital.
The fishermen, who were from Vellapallam and Arcotthurai coastal villages, had set sail on mechanised and fibre boats on Monday.
The unidentified persons, who intercepted them, were armed with knives, rods and wooden logs and reportedly boarded their boats, attacked them and robbed their Global Positioning System gadgets, phones, ice box, fishing nets, fish, battery and tools box.
The fishermen managed to return to the shore in the late hours on Monday and in the early hours on Tuesday, said Coastal Security Group sources.
Collector Johny Tom Varghese on Tuesday met the injured fishermen undergoing treatment at the Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital and consoled them.
CM raises concern
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar over the assaults on Indian fishermen, allegedly by “Sri Lankan nationals”.
In his letter, Mr. Stalin requested that swift and decisive action be taken bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice.
The Chief Minister urged for utilising diplomatic channels to engage with the Sri Lankan government and express India’s strong concern over such incidents. A copy of the letter was shared with the media.
“These incidents are causing serious harm to their morale and impacts livelihood severely. The attackers inflicted physical harm upon Indian citizens and subjected them to theft, leaving them helpless and distressed. The injured fishermen had to undergo treatment in hospitals, which underscores the gravity of the incidents,” he added.
