VIJAYAWADA: Four fishermen from Kakinada, who were detained in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna jail for over seven weeks, have been released, and are on their way back home, thanks to the swift intervention of the Andhra Pradesh government.
The fishermen set out from Kakinada on August 3, 2025 to purchase a boat in Nagapattinam. During their return journey, a navigation error led their vessel into Sri Lankan waters near the Jaffna coast. On August 4, they were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy, and handed over to the Jaffna police, resulting in their detention for 52 days.
The AP government, through its officials at AP Bhavan in New Delhi, acted promptly to secure their release. Continuous coordination with the Indian Embassy in Jaffna, and the Indian Coast Guard facilitated the handover of the fishermen to Indian authorities at Mandapam in Tamil Nadu on September 26. The quartet are now travelling by boat from Mandapam to Kakinada.
Arja Srikanth, Additional Resident Commissioner at AP Bhavan, played a key role in the negotiations that ensured the fishermen’s swift release.