CHENNAI: Five fishermen from Kasimedu who went to sea on Friday morning had not returned even on Saturday. Their family members and friends protested for action.
Sources said Kadumbadi (28), Mayandi (32), Sakthivel (23), Mani (25), and Suresh (23), from Jeevarathnam Nagar, Kasimedu, sailed out on a fiber boat around noon on Friday.
They were expected to return by Friday night but didn’t. Since all efforts to locate them failed, the families complained to Harbour Police and alerted the Coast Guard and other agencies about the incident.
However, the Central agencies failed to begin a search and rescue operation, alleged the kin, who took to the streets around noon at Kasimedu. The protesters blocked the Ennore-Manali Expressway near Suryanarayana park.
Local police spoke to the protesters and ushered them to a roadside park. Police promised they would ask the Indian Coast Guard and Navy to use helicopter for search and rescue.
A group of protesters were sent to speak to the Indian Coast Guard with the details of the last known location to begin the search.