Twenty-seven fishermen of Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on December 23, have been released on Wednesday and they are expected to return home in a couple of days.
A group of 14 fishermen of Akkaraipettai and Nambiar Nagar in Nagapattinam and another group of 13 from Kilinjalmedu in Karaikal ventured into the sea in four mechanised boats on December 22.
While they were involved in fishing activity a few knots off South East of Vedaranyam coast on Sunday, a team of personnel from Lankan Navy arrived at the spot and arrested all the 27 on charges of trespassing into Lankan waters. The navy personnel also seized their boats and took all of them to Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.
Following efforts of both the State and Centre the arrested fishermen were released on Wednesday after legal formalities.