Sri Lankan Navy arrests 14 fishermen from Tamil Nadu

New Delhi, Nov 17: Fourteen fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by Sri Lankan Navy in the deep sea on Wednesday. The fishermen belong to the districts of Nagapattinam, Karaikal and Ramanathapuram.

The fishermen were fishing in the southwest Indian Ocean of Kodiakkarai when the Sri Lankan Navy surrounded them and arrested them, according to an India Today report.

The fishermen had gone to sea for fishing from Karaikal port in Puducherry on November 15.

The arrested fishermen were taken to Kankesanthurai port in Sri Lanka for investigation.

Following the report of the arrest, the situation in the fishing villages along the coast was reportedly noticed tensed.

The family of the fishermen and their leaders appealed to the state and the Central governments to get them released.

It is to be noted that the arrest and seizure of their boats are almost regular incidents for the fishermen in India. Indian fishermen are arrested from time to time by the authorities of Sri Lanka for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had said, "Government attaches the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian Fishermen. As soon as reports of apprehension of Indian fishermen are received, the Government through diplomatic channels takes up the matter with the Sri Lankan authorities."