Four of the five fishermen from Kanniyakumari district, who were imprisoned in Abu Dhabi for allegedly entering its territorial waters, have been released.
Y. Jerald Regan, 31, his brother Y. Karol Jahin, 26, A. John Prabhahar, 40, G. Regan Geo Gladwin, 35, all from Kadiyapattinam, and S. Jose Stalin, 32, of Midalam, who were employed by their sponsor Jaffer Jubeil to work in his mechanised boat ‘Kashwani – 3238’ at Vakhra in Qatar, ventured into the sea from their base for fishing on August 25.
When they were fishing on the high-seas, the Coast Guard of Abu Dhabi arrested them for allegedly entering their territorial waters. After being imprisoned at Tarrif, Abu Dhabi, the fishermen contacted their friend Probin. He, in turn, alerted their relatives here.
A court in Abu Dhabi awarded one month jail term and slapped a fine of 4,000 Riyals (₹72,000 ) on the fishermen. However, they were not in a position to pay the fine.
On hearing about their arrest, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan contacted Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, on whose intervention Karol Jahin, John Prabhahar, Regan Geo Gladwin and Jose Stalin, were released from the prison on Wednesday.
“The Indian Embassy at Abu Dhabi has provided them return tickets. Efforts are on to secure the safe release of Jerald Regan also,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said in a statement.
