Sri Lankan Navy arrests 20 TN fishermen

Rameswaram, Jul 6: Sri Lankan

on Sunday arrested 20

from here on charges of crossing IMBL when they were fishing near Katchatheevu, a senior Fisheries Department official said.

All the arrested were taken to Talaimannar along with their four boats. The navalmen who came in five patrol boats also snapped the fishing nets.

The Navy had on June 29 arrested 17 fishermen along with their three boats when they were fishing near Katchatheevu, police had said.

The series of arrests of fishermen had led Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking immediate release of the fishermen.

Jayalalithaa had also renewed her plea for nullifying the "unconstitutional" Indo-Sri Lankan Agreements of 1974 and 1976 and demanded that steps be taken to restore the traditional rights of Indian fishermen.

She also reiterated her demand for retrieval of Katchatheevu islet ceded to Sri Lanka to protect the fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

PTI