RAMANATHAPURAM: A Sri Lankan court on Friday sentenced two fishermen to two years imprisonment and released 13 fishermen with a fine of Sri Lankan Rupees 50,000 each. The released fishermen were handed over to Indian officials for repatriation process.
On December last year, a team of 17 fishermen from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam was caught by the Sri Lankan Navy for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and handed over to fisheries officials in Mannar region. After consecutive custody extensions, the 17 fishermen were produced before the Mannar court on Friday.
As two of the arrested fishermen were found violating the IMBL for the second time by the Sri Lankan Navy, the court sentenced them to two years imprisonment and lodged them in special prison on Friday.
The custody of the remaining two fishers was extended to February 21, citing issues in documentation.
Fishermen's association expressed condemnation over the jail sentence with association leaders pointing out that such harsh punishment and imprisonment will leave the fishermen and their families struggling. They urged the union to take immediate action towards releasing all the fishermen and retrieving the seized boats.