A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday extended the judicial remand of 22 Rameswaram fishermen. The court released four Mandapam fishermen. The fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan navy on October 14 on charges of poaching in the country’s territorial waters. They were lodged in a Jaffna prison by Oorkavalthurai court.
Fisheries sources here said the Sri Lankan courts book boat owners as the first accused in these cases. In the case of the Mandapam boat, owner of the boat Maria Washington was one among the four-member crew. So, the court ordered the confiscation of the boat and the fishing gear while setting the crew free.
In earlier cases, the Sri Lankan courts used to release the fishermen after a remand period of 15 days and release them under the condition that the boat owner should appear before the court with boat documents. However, the court has extended the remand of fishermen for the second time, detaining them longer than usual and it has worried fishermen here.
Fishermen leaders from Rameswaram accompanying the leader of DMK party in parliament T R Baalu met Union minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan on Oct 31 and raised the issue of Sri Lankan courts demanding the boat owners to appear before Lankan courts. Though the MoS has assured to look into this, the Lankan court on Wednesday stressed that boat owners should appear before the courts.
“We are very worried,” said Tamil Nadu Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association president P Jesuraja.