Two Sri Lankan fishermen who were arrested recently after they strayed into Indian waters near Vedaranyam were interrogated by a team of top officials at the Nagapattinam Collectorate on Tuesday.

The duo K. Roobadoss (21) and D. Nishanth (23) were interrogated for over an hour by the joint team comprising District Collector S. Palanisamy, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Kumar, a senior officer of the Indian Navy, personnel of State police intelligence units, officials of the Fisheries Department, and the Coastal Security Group. 

The fishermen were brought from the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai to Nagapattinam for the joint interrogation and later taken back after conclusion of the detailed inquiry to ascertain the facts of the case, police sources said. 

The Sri Lankan fishermen had set sail in a fibre boat bearing the number OFRP – A 2672 NNR from Parithithurai near Jaffna when their boat’s engine developed technical snag in the mid-sea.

Owing to rough sea condition at that time, their boat strayed into Indian waters about eight nautical miles off Arcot Thurai sea shore. Fishermen of Arcot Thurai who ventured into the sea rescued the two Lankan fishermen in the Indian waters and handed them over to the Indian Navy on October 11.

They were handed over to the Vedaranyam Marine police station where the two were inquired and arrested on the charge of entering into Indian water without any documents.

A case was registered against them under The Maritime Zones of India (Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels Act), 1981. They were lodged in the Puzhal Central Prison thereafter.

Source: The Hindu