Fourteen fishermen from Rameswaram, who were detained in Sri Lanka for poaching, reached Chennai last night after their release from a local prison.
Officials from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department had received them at the Chennai airport and arranged their transport back to Rameswaram.
The fishermen ventured out to sea on March 17 aboard a mechanised boat when they were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard.
Their boat, fishing nets, and catch were confiscated, and all 14 were taken to Sri Lanka, where they were presented before a court and subsequently imprisoned, according to a report.
After Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin then wrote to the Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to secure the immediate release of the detained fishermen, diplomatic efforts ensued. Officials from the Indian High Commission in Colombo engaged with Sri Lankan authorities, ultimately leading to a court order for the fishermen’s release.
Since the fishermen lacked passports, Indian embassy officials issued emergency certificates and made arrangements for their return, the report added.
The 14 fishermen were flown from Colombo to Chennai on an Air India flight, with the embassy also facilitating their flight tickets.
Source: Times of India
--Agencies
