THOOTHUKUDI: The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Ramanathapuram on Monday sent the seven Sri Lankan fishermen, who were arrested by Indian Coast Guards (ICG) personnel for illegally fishing in the Indian waters, to judicial custody till June 3.
The fishermen were identified as M Susantha, Polge Piyal De Silva, Kauluthotage Niranga Lakmal, Dilip Kumara, Tharaka Amila Kumara, Chaminda Pushpa Kumara, and Malleywadu Upali, natives of Ambalangoda region of the island nation.
According to sources, the fishers were apprehended by ICG personnel, who were patrolling the high seas on Saturday, and handed over to the Tharuvaikulam marine police in Thoothukudi on Sunday.
They were booked under various sections of the Maritime Zones of India (Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels) Act, 1981 for allegedly fishing in the Indian waters without licence.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the Lankan fishers had been returning to the island from Dubai after month-long fishing activities in the Arabian Sea. Their boat, which was seized, was loaded with nearly 10 tonnes of tuna fish. On Monday, they were produced before Chief Judicial Magisrate Raja Kumar, who remanded them to judicial custody, and later shifted to Chennai Puzhal prison.