Sri Lanka releases 69 Indian fishermen

NEW DELHI: The Sri Lankan courts in Jaffna and Vavunia on Thursday ordered the release of 69 Tamil Nadu fishermen lodged in prisons there, an official said here.

The fishermen, arrested on various occasions on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by the Sri Lankan Navy, would be brought back here after completing necessary formalities, Manikandan, Assistant Director of Fisheries Department said.

A Sri Lankan court had yesterday released 20 fishermen, arrested on January and February this year on charges of poaching into the island nation's waters, and they were handed over to the Indian 
Coast Guard at the IMBL by the Lankan authorities.

A total of 89 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been released by Sri Lankan authorities so far this year and 71 were still in various jail in Sri Lanka, he said. 

Earlier today, a report said the Lankan government had decided to appeal to a court to set free at least 70 fishermen who have been lodged in jails there on charges of illegal fishing in their terrestrial water.