Lankan Navy arrests 6 Indian fishermen

Rameswaram, Apr 28 (UNI) Tension prevailed in Rameswaram today, following reports that the Sri Lankan Navy had arrested six Indian fishermen and seized an outboard engine fitted country boat used for poaching into Sri Lankan territorial waters.

A senior official of state Fisheries Department said they had received information from the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka about the arrest of six fishermen - Pastin (27) hailing from Tuticorin, Selvam (35), Jesu Abraham (50), Vellaichamy (24), Pitchai (22) and Antony (22), all hailing from Thangachimadam and Pamban coastal hamlets here.

The fishermen sailed into sea for fishing in an outboard engine fitted country boat on April 24, from Rameswaram.

They were detained by Sri Lankan Navy yesterday for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and poaching near Dwelft Island well within the Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Indian fishermen were produced before Keits court and were remanded to custody and lodged at Jaffna prison.

The matter had been informed to the state government which was working on the necessary arrangements to get them released, he said.

Police stepped up security measures to prevent any untoward incident in Rameswaram. Various fishermen associations appealed to the Central and state governments to take immediate steps for the safe release of innocent fishermen.

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