Sri Lanka Navy assisted the Coast Guard to arrest 21 Indian fishermen along with 3 Indian fishing Dhows poaching in Sri Lankan waters Southwest of Talaimannar on Wednesday.
The arrested fishermen along with the fishing Dhows will be handed over to the Mannar Police for onward action, navy media unit said.
According to Indian media reports the fishermen, all hailing from Pamban fishing hamlet in Rameswaram, sailed on a fishing expedition on Tuesday.
Fishermen activist, U Arulanandam of Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen, said that the arrested fishermen were produced before the Mannar court and were remanded in judicial custody till May 11. They were locked up in Vavuniya prison after the court’s verdict, TOI reports.
At present, 34 Indian fishermen are in Sri Lankan prisons while 98 boats, including those from Union Territory Karaikal, were confiscated by Sri Lankan authorities since February 2015.
-Agencies
