35 Tamil Nadu Fishermen Arrested By Sri Lankan Navy Remanded To Judicial Custody Till Aug 21

According to a senior official from the fisheries department, the fishermen were arrested while they were reportedly engaged in fishing activities within Sri Lankan waters.

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 35 fishermen from Pamban in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The incident occurred on Thursday with the Navy also seizing four country boats that the fishermen had used reportedly for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

Later, the arrested fishermen were produced before Puthalam court and remanded to custody till August 21.

According to a senior official from the fisheries department, the fishermen were apprehended in the northwestern seas of Sri Lanka, south of Mannar, while they were reportedly engaged in fishing activities within Sri Lankan waters. The detained fishermen were subsequently handed over to Kalpitiya fisheries officials for further action, according to a report on PTI.

This arrest comes just after a Sri Lankan court had ordered the release of 13 other Tamil Nadu fishermen who had been detained earlier.

However, the arrest has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami condemned the central government for failing to take effective measures to prevent the recurring arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. He also criticized the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu for not exerting sufficient pressure on the Centre to resolve the issue.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Palaniswami urged the central government to take immediate steps to secure the release of the arrested fishermen and their boats. He emphasized the importance of addressing the concerns of Tamil Nadu fishermen, stating, "Tamil Nadu fishermen are also Indians." Palaniswami called for a permanent and lasting solution through negotiations to put an end to the frequent hardships faced by the fishing community.

The arrest also comes days after TN BJP chief Annamalai along with fishermen from the state met Union External Affairs Minister Jaishankar regarding the issue.