Two Indian fishermen who sustained serious injuries during the apprehension of 13 Indian fishermen in the proximity of Delft Island were injured by accidental firing during their arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy, the island’s top naval official said on Wednesday.
Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, said that according to initial investigations, the two Indian fishermen were injured due to the accidental discharge of a firearm by a Navy personnel.
Five Indian fishermen sustained injuries, including two seriously, in an incident of firing by the Sri Lankan Navy in the proximity of Delft Island early Tuesday, triggering a strong reaction by India.
Addressing a press conference here, Vice Admiral Banagoda said that naval personnel had boarded an Indian fishing trawler that was in Sri Lankan waters due to a suspicion after it did not respond to instructions to leave the area.
When the Navy personnel got on board their boat, the Indians behaved aggressively to disturb the inquiry process,” Banagoda said.
They were doing illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters and failed to heed warnings to move away from the area, he said.
The gun went off accidentally during the confrontation with the two Indians who were blocking the naval personnel from functioning their duties, Banagoda said.
Sri Lanka’s acting high commissioner in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday and a strong protest was lodged with the top diplomat.
In its reaction, India said the use of force is not “acceptable” under any circumstances whatsoever.
Indian Consulate officials in Jaffna visited the injured fishermen at the hospital to seek their welfare and are extending all possible assistance to the fishermen and their families.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo raised the matter with the Sri Lankan foreign ministry.
The Sri Lankan Navy was responding to the protest lodged by the Indian mission in Colombo.
Some 13 Indian fishermen were arrested for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters on the night of January 27 off the coast of Velvettiturai in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the navy said.
It added that the arrested fishermen were remanded till February 10 by the Mallakum magistrate’s court.