NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka on Monday repatriated 19 Indian fishermen, who reached home the same evening, even as 82 remain in its custody, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having raised the issue with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo announced on X that the fishermen were being repatriated on Monday and were expected to return home by evening.
The recurring issue of Indian fishermen being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) continues to strain bilateral ties. At least 360 Indian fishermen were detained in 2025, of whom 339 have since been released and repatriated.
Moreover, this year alone, 104 fishermen have been apprehended, with 30 already released and brought back to India, while another 30 have been freed and are completing travel-related formalities ahead of their return.
At present, 82 Indian fishermen remain in Sri Lankan custody, with 31 awaiting trial and 51 serving sentences under Sri Lankan law.
New Delhi has consistently taken up the issue with Colombo through bilateral mechanisms, diplomatic channels and official engagements, pressing for the early release and repatriation of detained fishermen and their boats.
The issue has also figured in recent high-level engagements. During a meeting in New Delhi in February, followed by a phone call in March, the Prime Minister raised the matter with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, urging that it be treated on humanitarian grounds given its impact on livelihoods. He also called for the early release of all detained Indian fishermen and the return of their vessels.
On March 31, a Sri Lankan court, acting on the government’s advice, ordered the release of 25 Indian fishermen, including 15 from Tamil Nadu and 10 from Puducherry, who had been detained on February 16.
In a departure from standard practice, where fishermen, particularly boat owners and skippers, are often charge-sheeted and sentenced, all those detained in this case, including the captain and owner, were released. They were repatriated on April 7.
This was also followed by the release of another 24 Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan courts, who were granted suspended sentences and sent back in batches.