Jaffna HC orders deportation of 15 Indian boatmen

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 March 2004, 16:06 GMT]
The Jaffna High Court Judge, Mr.K.P.S.Varatharajah, Friday ordered that fifteen of the sixty seven Indian boatmen who were arrested and detained in Jaffna prisons for poaching in the northern waters should be deported to their motherland, legal sources said.

The cases against these fifteen Indian boatmen were taken up for inquiry Friday in the Jaffna High Court. The Attorney General had indicted them for poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters, legal sources said.

After inquiry, the High Court Judge imposed a fine of ten thousand rupees on each accused. They were further ordered to serve a period of six months in default of the fine. However, the High Court Judge taking into consideration the detention period of the accused, waived the jail sentence in default of fine and ordered the authorities concerned to deport them to their motherland without any delay.

The HC Judge further ordered the confiscation of their boats and fishing gear, legal sources said.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General Friday filed indictments on another batch of 26 Indian boatmen for poaching in the northern waters. The HC Judge put off the inquiry into these cases March 30, legal sources said.

Excluding the fifteen ordered to be deported, 52 Indian boatmen are still in remand in Jaffna prisons, legal sources said.