Tamil Nadu Chief Secy Urges Centre To Ensure Release Of 4 Fishermen Detained In Kuwait

The fishermen hired by a Kuwaiti boat owner ran into a controversy after authorities found a narcotic substance on the vessel they were operating.

Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday urged the Centre to intervene and use diplomatic channels to aid the release of four fishermen from the state detained by the Kuwait Coastal Police. The arrested individuals, hailing from Ramanathapuram district, have been held in custody since their arrest on December 5 last year. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had previously raised concerns over their detention and called for their immediate release, stated state Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena.

According to a statement released by the state government, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 9 regarding the arrest of four fishermen from Ramanathapuram by the Kuwait Coast Guard on December 5, 2023. Stalin urged the Centre to use diplomatic channels to secure their release.

The statement further mentioned that as a reminder of the request the Chief Secretary has sent a communication to the Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

"Since the men have not been released despite the state government's repeated insistence, the Chief Secretary wrote a reminder letter to the External Affairs Secretary in this regard," the release said, as per a report on PTI.

The four fishermen, identified as M. Karthik (22), J. Sesu (43), M. Chandru (23), and S. Vinodkumar (27), had been employed as laborers in Kuwait since 2023. They were hired by a Kuwaiti boat owner under a contractual agreement.

While out at sea for fishing, authorities found a narcotic substance on the vessel they were operating. Subsequently, they were apprehended and placed in judicial custody.

O Panneerselvam Seeks Union EAM's Assistance To Find Fishermen Missing In Saudi Arabia 

Former Tamil Nadu CM and Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha Election Candidate O. Panneerselvam reached out to Union External Affairs Minister Jaishankar seeking assistance in locating Tamil Nadu fisherman D. Samayakanth, who went missing in Saudi Arabia since November 9, 2023. 

In the letter on Wednesday, OPS said, "I would like to bring to your kind attention, an incident of missing Tamil Nadu fisherman D Samayakanth of Kaarangadu Post, Thiruvadanai Taluk, Ramanathapuram District in Saudi Arabia with effect from 09.11.2023 night. Hence, I would be grateful if you could kindly intervene personally and take up the matter at the highest level in Saudi Arabia so that the local authorities intensify their efforts to secure the safe and early release of Samayakanth."