7 of 18 Bhatkal fishermen held in Iran return home

A total of 18 fishermen from here who were in the custody of the police in Iran for over four months, for violating the seas, have been released and seven of them returned home on Wednesday.

Khaleel Panipadu of Bhatkal, Yakub Shamali, Ajmal Shamali, Inayat Shamali, Ilyas Ambadi, Ilyas Bharu and Kashim Agarkon of Kumta arrived here on Wednesday and returned to their natives.

They arrived in Mangaluru in a flight from Dubai, with help from the Muslim Jamaat. They then travelled to Bhatkal by road.

The fishermen left Dubai at 12.30 and reached Bhatkal by evening.

The fishermen were welcomed by the Tanzeem and members of the Jamaat.

Addressing reporters, Panipadu said they had lost hopes of returning home and expressed happiness over being released. The fishermen said they had decided to stay back in India and find employment to sustain their families.

They said the other fishermen would return home in the next two or three days.