Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested on Sunday by Sri Lankan naval personnel off Nedunthivu for allegedly fishing in the island nation's territorial waters.
The fishermen claimed they had crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line due to strong winds and rough seas. However, the Lankan naval men charged them with poaching in their territory, seized their boat and arrested them, fisheries department officials said here.
Ramanathapuram MP K Navaskani appealed to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take urgent steps for securing the immediate release of the fishermen. In a letter to the Minister, the IUML leader said the fishermen, who put out to sea on Saturday, 'drifted' to the Lankan waters after their boat developed a snag and they had no intention to poach. "Hence, the External Affairs Ministry should take up the matter with Sri Lanka and secure the release of all the arrested fishermen immediately," he added.
Published 28 July 2019, 13:29 IST