19 TN Fishermen Repatriated From Sri Lanka. 3 Others Injured In Alleged Attack By SL Navy Near Katchatheevu

19 Tamil Nadu fishermen are being repatriated to Chennai while three others were allegedly injured in an 'attack' by the Sri Lankan army near Katchatheevu.

The High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, announced on Tuesday that 19 Indian fishermen have been repatriated from Sri Lanka and are en route to Chennai. This comes nearly a week after 19 more fishermen, who hail from Mayiladuthurai, Pudukottai, and Karaikal, were brought back to Chennai after they were detained by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard on March 6 while fishing in the sea on two boats, according to a report by DT Next. The fishermen were accused of crossing the border, following which their boats were seized, and they were arrested and sent to prison.

With the intervention of the Indian embassy in Sri Lanka and the families' pleas to the state and central governments, the fishermen were released from prison a few days ago, the report stated.

The embassy officials facilitated the fishermen's travel documents, and they arrived at the Chennai airport on an Air India flight from Colombo on April 3. Officials from the fisheries department welcomed them at the airport and arranged transportation to their respective villages, as per the report.

3 TN Fishermen Injured In Alleged Attack By Sri Lankan Navy Near Katchatheevu 

Meanwhile, three Tamil Nadu fishermen from the Rameswaram fishing hamlet were injured allegedly in an attack by the Sri Lankan Navy near the controversial Katchatheevu island. The incident occurred when the fishermen were fishing on Monday afternoon and were reportedly attacked in the early hours of Tuesday, news agency IANS reported.

The injured fishermen, identified as Mackina (53), Rajendran (56), and Thangam (51), were rushed to the Rameswaram General Hospital for treatment. According to Antony Dominic, a leader of the fishermen association, the Sri Lankan Navy's actions aim to intimidate Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and create a fear psychosis among them, IANS reported.

Rajendran, who sustained head injuries, is reportedly in a serious condition. Dominic accused the Sri Lankan Navy of chasing away fishermen from the high seas near Katchatheevu, as per IANS.

The island has been a contentious issue, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's accusation against the Congress party and its late leader, Indira Gandhi, of handing over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.