RAMANATHAPURAM: A Sri Lankan court on Friday ordered the release of four Rameswaram fishermen and sentenced another fisherman, hailing from the same town, to one year of imprisonment for repeated violation of maritime boundaries. The court also imposed a penalty on all five fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on July 28 for allegedly violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while they were fishing near the Mannar coast.
The fishermen had been lodged in Vavuniya prison, and their case came up for hearing for the ninth time on Friday. Sources said the court imposed a penalty of 14,500 Sri Lankan rupees each on three of the five fishermen and ordered their release. As the remaining two fishermen -- Justin and Mobin -- had earlier been arrested by the SL navy in 2023 and later released on conditional terms, the court imposed a hefty penalty of 73,000 Sri Lankan rupees on both and sentenced Justin to one year of imprisonment.
Following the verdict, all five were shifted from Vavuniya prison to an outer facility, pending completion of formalities. Fishermen associations in Rameswaram have urged the union government to step up efforts for their release and long-term protection.