NAGAPATTINAM: As many as nine fishermen from Arukatuthurai in the district were allegedly assaulted and robbed of their equipment at mid-sea by Sri Lankan assailants, in three separate incidents on Tuesday night.
According to sources, several fishers set out to sea from the village in motorised fibreglass boats on Tuesday afternoon. Some of them were fishing at a distance of ten nautical miles from Arukatuthurai when they came under attack.
Around 9 pm, a group of five men in a motorised boat confronted Arumugam (46) who was fishing with his son Jeevan (22) in his boat. Four of them then boarded Arumugam's boat and assaulted the duo. Sources said that they also snatched away their GPS equipment, a mobile phone, torchlight and a raincoat.
Meanwhile, eight assailants in two motorised boats caught up with fishermen Sankar (48), Kumar (60) and Karthikeyan (54), and robbed them too. Ramesh (38), Nallathambi (41), Kalidoss (40) and Arulselvan (40), who were also fishing, came under a similar attack an hour later from five assailants in a motorised
boat, sources said.
It is uncertain whether the fishermen or the assailants had crossed the international maritime boundary line (IMBL). The fishermen returned to shore in the early hours of Wednesday and complained to the Coastal Security Group. The fishermen alleged that the assailants spoke Tamil, and were from Sri Lanka.
They also alleged that the assailants were armed, and firm on seizing the valuables, assaulting them when they resisted. Some allegedly sustained internal injuries during the assault. Based on complaints from the fishermen from Arukatuthurai, three separate cases were subsequently registered in Vedaranyam Marine Police Station.
Further investigations are on.