The 10 fishermen, who were arrested on August 6 and released on bail on August 21, arrived at the Chennai airport on a special flight from Colombo on Tuesday morning. They were welcomed by their families and fishermen's associations. The fishermen, who are from the Akkaraipettai village in Nagapattinam district, were fishing in the sea near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) when they were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. They were charged with poaching and trespassing into Sri Lankan waters.
The fishermen were produced before a magistrate in Trincomalee, who remanded them to judicial custody until August 21. They were released on bail after their families paid a surety of 50,000 Sri Lankan rupees each.
The fishermen's release comes after the intervention of the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Tamil Nadu government. The Tamil Nadu government has also demanded the release of 15 other fishermen who are still in Sri Lankan custody.
The fishermen's arrest has once again highlighted the issue of fishermen from Tamil Nadu being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the IMBL. The IMBL is a line drawn in the sea to demarcate the maritime borders between India and Sri Lanka. However, the exact location of the IMBL is disputed, and this has led to many fishermen being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The fishermen's associations have demanded that the Indian government take steps to resolve the issue of fishermen being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. They have also demanded that the Indian government provide compensation to the fishermen who have been arrested and released.
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