A Sri Lankan court on Monday ordered the release of nine out of 10 fishermen arrested for crossing the international maritime boundary on January 8 while sentencing the boat driver to six months of imprisonment. The released fishermen would be handed over to the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka and repatriated soon, sources said.
According to sources, a group of 10 fishers had ventured into sea in a mechanised boat named ‘PS Rajiv Gandhi’ from Karaikal fishing harbour on January 7. They were fishing southeast of Kodiyakarai (Point Calimere) on January 8 when the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended them.
The crew included three from Vanagiri, one from Perumalpettai and one from Vellakoil in Mayiladuthurai district; two each from Keezhakasakudimedu and Karaikalmedu in Karaikal district; and one from Samanthanpettai in Nagapattinam district. The Magistrate Court in Kayts (‘Oorkavatthurai’) had sentenced them to judicial custody initially till January 23 and then till February 3.
On Monday, the fishers were produced at the court for a hearing. Judge Nalini Subaskaran ordered the release of two people without any conditions due to their age and the release of seven people with a warning of imprisonment upon crossing the IMBL again.
The judge sentenced the boat driver identified as P Anbazhagan (42) of Karaikal to six months of imprisonment and a penalty of 4 million Sri Lankan Rupee.
She also ordered additional three months of imprisonment for default of penalty. The mechanised boat in which the crew went for fishing is registered under the name of P Selvamani, the elder brother of the imprisoned boat driver.
The boat is reportedly a year-old vessel. Speaking to TNIE, Selvamani, who is from Keezhakasakudi, demanded his brother’s release. “Our boat costs over one crore in Indian Rupees. The boat is our source of income and livelihood. Please release the boat and my brother,” he said.