TN fishermen arrested by SL return home

On Tuesday, a group of 20 Tamil Nadu fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard, returned to Chennai after being released from prison. The fishermen, hailing from Rameshwaram, had ventured into the sea for fishing in the first week. However, while they were at sea, they were intercepted by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard, who accused them of crossing the border and seized their boats. Subsequently, all 23 fishermen were arrested and sent to prison. Following the incident, the families of the fishermen appealed to both the State and Central governments to intervene and secure the release of the detained fishermen. With the assistance of the Indian Embassy, 20 fishermen were released from prison on February 16 and were handed over to embassy officials. However, two fishermen were sentenced to six months in prison, while another fisherman, who had been caught for the second time, received a one-year sentence. The Indian Embassy facilitated the return of the released fishermen by arranging their tickets and travel documents. They arrived in Chennai on an Air India flight on Tuesday evening, where they were welcomed by officials from the fisheries department. Government officials also arranged transportation for the fishermen to their native villages upon their arrival in Chennai. The fishermen expressed gratitude to the officials for their assistance and urged them to continue efforts to secure the release of the three fishermen who remain imprisoned in Sri Lanka.