Even before the tears could dry on the faces of the family members of the 24 fishermen’s detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday, the Island nation’s navy detained another batch of 25 fishermen and seized five boats.
Around 755 mechanised boats had ventured into sea for fishing from Rameswaram on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a Lankan ship and six small vessels had come from Thalaimannar when the fishermen entered into Lankan waters. However, they returned after spotting the Indian boats.
Later, the Lankan Navy surrounded the Indian boats and detained 24 fishermen and seized their five boats.
Those detained included Poopandy, Vadivel, Loorthu, Ayothi, Kathanan, Karmegam and Selvam.
The Fisheries Department source said the 24 fishermen were produced before Mannar court on Thursday which issued an order to lodge them in prison till June 20. They were then were taken to Anurathapuram prison.
Meanwhile, between Thalaimannar and Kakkadativu, Lankan defence forces detained another batch of 25 fishermen along with five boats around midnight. The fishermen have been lodged in Kayts.
Kirubakaran of Thankatchimadam said the Lankan navy chased the fishermen and the boats assembled in one spot to escape from the navy. Heavy winds protected many fishermen from the navy personnel.
Five fishermen were intercepted near Thalaimannar and three of them -Regan, Babu and Bose -were forced to board a Naval ship. In the operation, the boat got slightly damaged when the naval ship hit the mechanised boat and it started taking on water. The navy personnel then forced the two others- Sunmuganathan and Subramani -to follow their ship.
However, the two fishermen managed to escape from the navy and reached shore in the damaged boat.
The navy later decided to let off the three detained fishermen. They were taken to Katchatheevu and boarded another Indian boat that took them to Mandapam, from where they reached Rameswaram by bus.