Seven fishermen from Rameshwaram, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy earlier this month for allegedly entering Neduntheevu waters, have been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for six years.
On 13 September, Sri Lankan naval personnel detained the fishermen within the waters around Neduntheevu, accusing them of unlawful entry and fishing. They were subsequently handed over to officials from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and produced before the Oorkavalthurai Magistrate’s Court the following day, which ordered that they be held in remand custody until Wednesday.
When the case was taken up yesterday, the fishermen admitted to the charges. The Magistrate then handed down the two-year prison term, but suspended the sentence for six years.
The arrests are the latest in a series of detentions of Tamil Nadu fishermen in waters around the Palk Strait, where tensions remain high as Sri Lankan authorities continue to clamp down on fishing by Indian trawlers. Families of those detained have repeatedly appealed for their release.
