Mannar Court orders release of Indian trawlers

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 15:06 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Monday ordered the release of seven Indian trawlers seized by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) last year when poaching in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka on an application made by the South Indian Fisheries Federation (SIFF). Talaimannar Police did not object to the application, legal sources said.

Magistrate further ordered the Sri Lanka Navy to hand over the seven Indian trawlers to the Indian Navy on the international boundry in the Indian Ocean.

The trawlers are kept in the custody of the Sri Lanka Navy on the orders of the Mannar Court, legal sources said.

Mr. Y.M.Arulanantham, representative of the SIFF made the application in connection with three poaching cases.

Mr. M.Sathakathullah, counsel for the applicant handed necessary documents and related papers in support of the application to the court, legal sources said.

Magistrate further instructed the Sri Lanka Navy to communicate with the Indian Embassy in Colombo if any issues arise in handing over the released trawlers to the Indian Navy, legal sources said.

The application was taken up earlier on February 17 in the Mannar Court. The Magistrate disallowed the application as no one represented Police and Sri Lanka Navy on that date ath the Courts.