24 fishermen return home from Sri Lanka

Karaikal/Nagapattinam, Jun 26: 24

who were released after their arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy on June 17, returned to Karaikal on Thursday, a senior Coast Guard official said.

Commander of the Coast Guard station at Karaikal Udhal Singh said the state and central governments had initiated steps to secure release of the fishermen, arrested on June 17 when they were fishing off Kodiakarai in six motorised boats.

They all were lodged in prison at Jaffna in Sri Lanka. A court in Sri Lanka had ordered their release yesterday. The Sri Lankan Navy handed over the fishermen to Indian authorities near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) this afternoon, he said.

Escorted by the Indian Coast Guard, the fishermen returned to the MARG Karaikal port today, he said.

Singh also said a court in Sri Lanka has ordered release of seven fishermen of Nagapattinam district, who were arrested on June 20 and that they would return home tomorow.

PTI