11 Indian fishermen abducted by LTTE returns

Chennai, May 18 (UNI) Eleven of the 12 Indian fishermen, abducted by the LTTE in March this year, returned today, according to police and relatives of the fishermen.

They said a batch of five fishermen reached around 1600 hrs at Narikuzhi near Rameswaram, while six more reached Thangachimadam, also near Rameswaram, at 2000 hrs.

Tamil Nadu Director General of Police D Mukherjee confirmed that the fishermen had landed in two groups, but said he could not give more details as the fishermen were still being questioned by the police.

Mr Mukherjee said Indian authorities suspected that Simon, a Malayalam-speaking man, might be apprehended on a suspected LTTE ship by the Maldivian Coast Guard yesterday in its territorial waters.

Maldivian authorities had sunk the LTTE ship on suspicion that it was ferrying arms. They took five persons into custody.

It could not be immediately ascertained whether the Tamil Tigers had released the fishermen or they had escaped from their custody. It might require a de-briefing session with the 'Q' branch police of the state and intelligence agencies before the official version would come out the DGP said.

John Kennedy, whose three relatives were among those abducted, said he had heard from the police that the fishermen had returned in two batches, and they had landed at Narikuzhi and Thangachimadam.

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