The Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Ramanathapuram has informed 12 Sri Lankan fishermen that they had a statutory right to seek bail as they were in jail for over 60 days after their arrest on the charge of poaching in two trawlers in Indian waters.
When the fishermen were produced before the court on Thursday for the extension of remand, magistrate T. Jayarajan told them that the police had not filed the charge sheet within 60 days of arrest.
After their remand was extended till December 23, they were taken back to the Puzhal central prison in Chennai, The Hindu reported.
Informed sources said the fishermen, most of them from Puttalam district in Sri Lanka, wanted their boat owners and the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai to secure their release.
The fishermen were detained off Kanyakumari by the Tuticorin station of the Coast Guard on September 30 and arrested by the Taruvaikulam Marine Police, who produced them before the Chief Judicial Magistrate court here on October 3. Their remand was extended thrice through videoconferencing. The trawlers were anchored at the Tuticorin port.
