As many as 20 Indian fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard returned to Chennai on Tuesday.
The fishermen from Rameshwaram went out to sea for fishing in two groups at the end of June. While they were fishing in the middle of the sea, the fishermen were surrounded by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard for crossing the border, and all of them were arrested and sent to prison.
Later on July 27, another group of nine fishermen was arrested by the Coast Guard, and they were sent to prison. The court imposed a penalty of LKR 500,000, and seven fishermen who paid the penalty were released and handed over to the Indian embassy on August 14.
Later, another 13 fishermen were released and handed over to the Indian officers a few days ago. The officers arranged the travel documents for the fishermen, and all of them arrived in Chennai on an Air India flight that landed in the early morning.
The officials from the Fisheries department welcomed them at the airport and arranged transport to their native villages.
Source: DTNEXT
--Agencies
