Sri Lanka Navy arrests 97 Tamil Nadu fishermen

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 November 2007, 20:03 GMT]
Sri Lankan Navy on Friday night arrested 97 Tamil Nadu fishermen along with 17 fishing trawlers allegedly off Kankesanthurai seas, according to police sources in Jaffna. Meanwhile, thousands of fishermen in Rameasvaram and Naakappaddinam in Tamil Nadu state in India abstained from fishing Saturday demanding the state government to trace the whereabouts of the fishermen who had gone missing in the sea. This is the first time that Sri Lankan Navy has arrested a large number of Indian fishermen, sources in Jaffna said.

On Saturday the Tamil Nadu fishermen were produced before Mallakam magistrate Mrs. Sarojini Illankovan, at the residence of the judge, and they were remanded till 12th of November 2007.

The Jaffna prison officials said they can only accommodate less than 100 inmates and the prison is already overcrowded with people who have sought shelter in the Human Rights Commission in fear of their lives.

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