Sri Lanka sets free 126 Tamil Nadu fishermen

All the 126 fishermen, languishing in various prisons of Sri Lanka after they were arrested by the Lankan Navy on a charge of illegally entering its waters since September, were released on Monday. Their repatriation is likely to take place after the weather condition improved, reports received here said.

The fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of illegally entering its water, were produced before the courts in Puttalam, Mannar, Kayts and Point Pedro and set free, said U. Arulanandham, president of the Alliance for the Release of Innocent Fishermen (ARIF).

Tuticorin fishermen

Seven Tuticorin fishermen, who were released by the Negombo court, were, however, kept in the prison for want of accommodation, he said.

While 41 fishermen set free by the Mannar court were accommodated in a lodge in Pesalai, 78 fishermen released by Kayts and Point Pedro courts were kept in a house in Jaffna. The seven Tuticorin fishermen would be brought to Mannar on Tuesday before they were repatriated, he said.

Mr. Arulanandham said the Point Pedro court also released three fishermen from Point Calimere, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on Sunday and produced before the court on Monday. The three fishermen drifted into the Lankan waters after they ran out of fuel, he said.

Meanwhile, H.H. More, Commander of the Mandapam Station of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), said the fishermen would be repatriated only after the weather improved. “The weather is bad and it’s very difficult now,” he told The Hindu .

The ICG was concerned about the safety of the fishermen and could not take risk, he added.

The Sri Lankan Navy arrested the fishermen between September 22 and November 1 and confiscated their trawlers.

Case adjourned

After setting free the fishermen, the courts had adjourned the case in respect of the confiscation of the trawlers, sources said.

Twenty-three fishermen of Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram, who were detained at Diego Garcia on October 6, were released the next day, said P. Justin Antony, founder president, Tamil Nadu Fishermen Development Trust (TN FIDET) in Kanyakumari.

In an e-mail communication, Mr. Antony, quoting Tom Moody, Administrator and Head of British Indian Ocean Territory Section, said that the fishermen had ventured into the sea from Muttom Harbour on September 27.

H.H. More, Commander of the Mandapam Station of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), said the fishermen would be repatriated only after the weather improved.