120 Indian fishermen to be released in “next few days”

The  Sri Lankan government has said that it will release “in the next few days” the 120 Tamil Nadu fishermen in its custody in return for the release of 36 Lankan fishermen held by India.

This was stated by the Lankan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne here on Wednersday. The process of release had begun on Wednesday, she added.

According sources, the Lankan government was planning to release the TN fishermen  before Deepavali day on November 10 , but pressure began to be mounted on it by the Indian government to do it much earlier than that, after TN Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa issued a statement saying that the Central and Lankan governments had agreed to release the fishermen on October 28.

The Lankan authorities were nonplussed by the statement from Chennai but conceded that talks were on for a possible release before Deepavali. In the meanwhile, arrests had gone on, with India arresting 29 Lankan fishermen off Lakshadweep and Lanka detaining 34 off Point Pedro and Thalaimannar. (NIE)