35 Pamban fishermen remanded in SL till Aug 21
A Sri Lankan Court on Friday remanded 35 Indian country boat fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for alleged violation of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on Thursday, to judicial custody till August 21.
According to sources, four county boats were impounded and 35 fishermen, hailing from Pamban in Ramanathapuram, were arrested by the Lankan Navy off the Kudiramalei Point. Later, the fishers were handed over to the Kalpitiya fisheries inspector for further legal proceedings. On Friday, the fishermen were produced before the Puthalam Court after medical examinations, and were sent to judicial custody for two weeks.
According to an official statement from the Sri Lankan Navy, a total of 322 Indian fishers were apprehended and 44 Indian fishing boats seized for poaching in the Lankan waters in 2024 so far. Meanwhile, fishermen associations condemned the arrests and pressed the union government to take immediate action towards ensuring the release of the fishermen and the retrieval of the confiscated boats.