New Delhi: A Tamil Nadu fisherman sustained bullet injuries when the Indian Navy ‘fired warning shots’ in mid-sea on Friday. Following the incident, chief minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to direct the armed forces to “exercise extreme caution and restraint” in such cases.
"I am extremely saddened by this incident that has happened by an act of the Indian Navy. You are well aware of the plight of Indian fishermen being ill-treated by Sri Lankan security forces," Stalin wrote.
"But, when our security forces resort to similar acts, it creates a sense of despair and insecurity in the minds of the downtrodden fisher folk. I request your intervention in this matter and request you to direct the Indian security agencies to exercise extreme caution and restraint while dealing with Indian fishermen in Indian waters," Stalin urged PM Modi.
According to a report by news agency PTI, the injured person, identified as K Veeravel from Vanagiri village of Mayiladuthurai district, has been administered first aid by the ship and evacuated by an Indian Navy Chetak helicopter to INS Parandu at Ramnad and he has been shifted to the Government Hospital, Ramanathapuram for further medical attention. His condition is reported to be stable.
Notably, the Navy said its ship, while on patrol near the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line, intercepted a suspicious boat on the Palk Bay and as the boat did not stop, they fired warning shots as per Standard Operating Procedures, a Defence PRO tweet said.
An inquiry has been ordered to probe the incident, the Defence statement said.
In a statement, CM Stalin said he was shocked by the incident and said Veeravel has been shifted to a state-run hospital in Madurai. He also ordered a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister's Public Welfare Fund to the injured.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan termed the incident as "unfortunate and distressing".