Eleven Indian Fisherman Released By Sri Lanka Return Home After Four Months

Eleven fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who had been detained in Sri Lanka for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), returned to Chennai late at night on Wednesday (21 May), NDTV reported.

The fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard on 11 January while on a routine fishing trip.

Their boats were seized, and they were taken into custody before being remanded to judicial custody and lodged in a Sri Lankan prison.

Tami Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had urged the Union government to take immediate diplomatic action. 

The Ministry of External Affairs, in coordination with the Indian High Commission in Colombo, worked to secure their release.

The fishermen were formally handed over to Indian officials on 14 May.

The Indian Embassy in Colombo facilitated travel arrangements, allowing the group to return home on an Air India flight.

Upon arrival in Chennai, they were welcomed by senior officials from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department, who arranged their onward travel to Rameswaram.

According to NDTV, many fishermen from Tamil Nadu often inadvertently enter Sri Lankan waters in search of better fishing grounds due to the lack of clearly demarcated maritime boundaries.

The families of the released fishermen expressed relief and thanked both the state and central governments for their efforts in bringing the men home.

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