TIRUNELVELI: Twenty-eight fishermen from Idinthakarai, apprehended by the Bahrain Coast Guard three months ago, reached Thiruvananthapuram airport on Wednesday night. Assembly Speaker M Appavu and Tirunelveli MP C Robert Bruce welcomed them at the airport.
These fishers, who went to Iran on August 31 for a job, were apprehended along with their boats on September 11 for allegedly violating the IMBL. CM M K Stalin and MP Bruce wrote to MEA S Jaishankar, urging him to take steps to repatriate the fishers. A Bahraini court which awarded six months jail-term later reduced it to three months, and they returned to India after the term ended. Appavau distributed financial aid orders to the families on November 24.
Sri Lanka court releases 14 Indian fishermen arrested on Dec 5
Ramanathapuram: Fourteen Indian fishermen were released and a fine of 50,000 rupees each was imposed by a Sri Lankan court on Thursday. The fishermen were caught by SL Navy for allegedly violating the IMBL on December 5. After two weeks of judicial custody, a court in Mannar imposed the fine. The released fishermen are likely to be handed over to the Indian officials. ENS