Take steps to free fishermen in Iran: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa

Chennai, Sep 26: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Indian embassy in Tehran to help release four fishermen of the state who are held in an Iranian jail.

In a letter to Modi Sep 25, the text of which was released to the media here Friday, Jayalalithaa said four fishermen hailing from Tamil Nadu were engaged in fishing in Qatar on contract basis.

She said: "Sep 16, these four fishermen went for fishing in a mechanised boat and in the course of their operations, they inadvertently strayed into Iranian waters Sep 22, and were arrested by the Iranian coast guard."

Citing the plight of the arrested fishermen's families here, she said: "I request you to kindly intervene in the matter and direct the Indian embassy in Tehran to take steps to secure the immediate release of these poor and innocent fishermen from Tamil Nadu."

IANS