RAMANATHAPURAM: 12 Indian fishermen were released by a Sri Lankan court, and one fisherman was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, while another was jailed for one year and fined LKR 1.2 crore, on Wednesday.
The Sri Lankan Navy caught two mechanised fishing boats and arrested 14 Indian fishermen hailing Thangachimadam for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line on February 9.
After 10 days of custody, the fishermen were produced before the Killinochchi court on Wednesday. The court released the 12 fishermen after imposing a penalty of LKR 50,000 each, and told the fishermen not to breach the IMBL in the future.
One fisherman, V Antony Aaron of Thangachimadam, caught violating the IMBL for the second time was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and fined LKR 50,000.