A Sri Lankan court today ordered the release of 35 fishermen who were arrested by the Lankan Navy last month, officials said.
The fishermen from Pamban South area were arrested on August 25 for allegedly fishing in the Lankan territorial waters.
They were produced before Puthalam Court Magistrate Pasis, who ordered their release, Fisheries Department officials said.
However, the magistrate did not pass orders on the release of five fishing boats seized from them, officials said.
Yesterday, 20 fishermen from the coastal town of Rameswaram were arrested by the Lankan Navy when they were fishing in the Palk Strait. The arrests were made on a day when a Lankan court released 34 fishermen arrested on September 4.
Stepping up pressure on the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa yesterday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to facilitate a dialogue between fishermen associations in the state and Sri Lanka in Chennai in December. (PTI)
