Thirty fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, who were detained in Sri Lanka, returned to Chennai on Tuesday following their release from prison.
The fishermen, including 21 from Rameswaram and nine from Karaikal, had ventured into the sea from the Pamban region in three boats nearly two months ago. They were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line while fishing.
Their boats, fishing nets and catch were seized, and the fishermen were later produced before a Sri Lankan court and lodged in prison.
Following the arrests, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging immediate diplomatic intervention to secure their release.
Subsequently, officials of the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka held talks with Sri Lankan authorities. A Sri Lankan court recently ordered the conditional release of all 30 fishermen.
Arrangements were made to repatriate them, and the fishermen arrived in Chennai from Colombo on an IndiGo Airlines flight on Tuesday morning. Officials of the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department received them at the airport and facilitated their return to their native places in government-arranged vehicles.
