The three fishermen from Thanjavur who were released by the Sri Lankan court after accidentally drifting to the island nation due to an engine snag, reached their village on Monday late hours.
The fishers ā Murali (30) from Kallivayalthottam in Thanjavur, Kumar (32) from Ramanathapuram and Raja (53) from Tirumayam in Pudukkottai ventured into the sea for fishing on October 16 in a country boat owned by Fayes Akram from Kallivayalthottam.
While they were fishing in the mid-sea, the engine of their boat suffered a snag and they drifted to Analaitivu in Jaffna. They were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the IMBL, and later produced before the Sri Lankan court before being lodged in the prison.
The case was in progress at Magistrate court at Kayts in Jaffna and the magistrate who heard the case ordered to release all the three fishermen and their boat safely as they were found to be innocent.
Based on the court direction, the three fishermen were handed over to the Indian Coast Guard personnel at the IMBL on the sea on Monday late hours.
Subsequently, a group of fishermen from Thanjavur headed by the Fishermen Welfare Board Vice President A Thajudeen went and received them. They reached the Mallipattinam on the Tuesday wee hours.