SL Navy says it rescued two TN fishermen from a sinking ship that was “poaching” in Lankan waters, searching to find missing person; The tension between the fishermen of both the countries is increasing continuously.
A fisherman from Kottaipattinam near Pudukottai was reported missing, apparently after falling into the sea after his fishing boat was intercepted by a Sri Lankan Navy ship in the middle of the sea on Monday.
Two other fishermen in the boat were detained by Sri Lankan Navy personnel for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
According to official sources, Rajkiran (30), Sugandan (23) and Arokia Xavier (32) from Kottaipattinam had ventured into the sea on Monday. While they were fishing in the waters near IMBL near Katchatheevu, their boat was intercepted by a patrol of the Sri Lankan Navy. Seeing the naval personnel, the Indian fishermen allegedly tried to escape. However, the naval personnel managed to detain Suganthan and Arokia Xavier. In the scuffle, Rajkiran fell into the sea. The incident has created panic among the fishermen of the area.
The Sri Lankan Navy, however, said on Tuesday that it had “rescued” two fishermen from an Indian fishing vessel that was “poaching in Sri Lankan waters”. A statement said a search operation is on to find another fisherman, who has “disappeared” since the incident.
Incident reported on Monday night [October 18]The Navy said that its patrol units were engaged in “chasing” Indian fishing trawlers, while a ship with “aggressive maneuvers” resisted the chase, resulting in a collision with Sri Lankan Navy craft. “In the process, it eventually landed due to rough sea conditions along with losing its stability,” the Navy statement said.
Two “rescued fishermen” were detained at Kankesanthurai in Jaffna.
Of late, fishermen from Tamil Nadu have repeatedly accused the Sri Lankan Navy of attacking them and their ships. The Sri Lankan side has denied these allegations.
Read also: Tamil Nadu Police warns of possible attack on fishermen crossing IMBL
Following a similar incident, in January this year, four fishermen from Tamil Nadu, Samson Darwin, 28, A. Messiah, 30, V. Nagaraj, 52 and S. Senthil Kumar, 32, returned dead from Ramanathapuram. There is no official word yet on the investigation into their deaths.
Tensions have risen over fishermen’s conflict in the Palk Straits in recent weeks, with fishermen in northern Sri Lanka pointing to an increase in alleged illegal fishing activity by Indian fishermen in their seas. He wrote to the Indian consulate demanding prompt action, and wrote to fishermen and a section of Tamil politicians held a maritime rally on Sunday, asked the Sri Lankan authorities to take legal action against those engaged in illegal fishing.
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