Eighteen fishermen from Karaikal, who were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy earlier this month, were reunited with their families yesterday after being released from Sri Lankan custody.
Following diplomatic efforts by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, the fishermen were released last week. They arrived at Chennai International Airport last evening. Officials from the Karaikal Fisheries Department facilitated their safe return to Karaikal, where they were handed over to their families. The fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on the 2nd of this month for allegedly crossing the maritime boundary.
On December 2, the Sri Lankan Guard apprehended 18 Indian fishermen and confiscated their mechanised fishing trawler, allegedly for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and poaching in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
In response to this, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a letter urging Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take immediate action for the release of the fishermen. Following this, Indian diplomats in Sri Lanka engaged in talks with Sri Lankan authorities.
A couple of days ago, the Sri Lankan court ordered the release of the 18 fishermen and handed them over to Indian consular officials. The consular officials took the fishermen into their custody and issued emergency certificates for their return, as they did not have passports with them.