HC seeks report on steps taken for release of 68 fishers from SL

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Union government to furnish a detailed report on actions being taken for the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen detained in Sri Lanka.

A petition filed by G Thirumurugan alias Theeran Thirumurugan, coordinator of Tamil Nadu Meenavar Paadhugaapu Urimai Iyakkam, Ramanathapuram district, came up for hearing before a division bench of Justice CV Karthikeyan and Justice S Srimathy.

The petitioner has sought the government to take appropriate action for the release of 68 Tamil Nadu fishermen and their boats from the custody of Sri Lankan Navy and Coast Guard and hand over them to their relatives in accordance with law. Apart from those fishermen arrested, 10 boats have been taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The government failed to protect the rights of the fishing of Indian Tamil fishermen in Neduntheevu, conferred under Article 6 of 1974 agreement. Hence, the fishermen were arrested by the Lankan Navy on grounds of violation of Article 6 of the 1974 agreement.

While the state government counsel said Chief Minister MK Stalin already initiated correspondence with the Sri Lankan government stressing the need to release those detained fishermen, the Central government counsel informed about actions being taken through the Indian embassy in Lanka and sought time to submit a report.

The bench directed the Centre and the state to file status report and also commented that there must be smile on faces of the fishermen and their families before New Year. The case was then adjourned to December 31.