NAGAPATTINAM: A 27-year-old Sri Lankan national, part of a group that allegedly attacked Tamil Nadu fishermen mid-sea, was captured by fishermen from Nagapattinam and handed over to police in Vedaranyam on Monday. Five fishermen, along with the suspect identified as D Dayanas (27) of Anthoniarpuram in Jaffna, sustained injuries in the incident.
All of them were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Orathur. Police said five fishermen — K Sakthimayil (40), P Abiman (30), P Balasubramanian (29), Palanisami (28), all from Seruthur in Nagapattinam, and Abi (38) from Uvari in Kanniyakumari — had ventured into the sea in a fibre boat on Saturday.
While they were fishing southeast off Thopputhurai around 11 pm on Sunday, a gang of three men arrived in a speedboat and intercepted their vessel. Sources said two of the men boarded the boat, attempted to cut the fishing nets and allegedly assaulted the fishermen.
The fishermen retaliated and tried to overpower the attackers, following which one of the assailants was captured. They brought him ashore on Monday morning and handed him over to personnel at the Vedaranyam coastal police station.
During the inquiry, police identified the suspect as D Dayanas from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Police said he sustained multiple injuries to his head and had been admitted to the Orathur Government Medical College Hospital.
Vedaranyam police have initiated further inquiry into the incident. Sources said there were four separate incidents of such attacks on Sunday, where a total of 14 TN fishermen on four boats, including the one who captured the Lankan, sustained injuries.