17 AP fishermen freed by in Tamil Nadu

Nellore: The tension prevailing in coastal villages located close to Anjaneyapuram in Vidavalur mandal of SPSR Nellore district following the abduction of 17 fishermen of the village by Chennai fishermen in the early hours of Monday, eased after they were freed at Chennai on Tuesday evening.

Incidentally, the kidnap took place after fishermen of Anjaneyapuram held 18 fishermen of Chennai when they ventured into the AP side of the Bay of Bengal for fishing in mechanised boats on Monday. The fishermen were abducted by their Chennai counterparts after the former held their men along with a boat and returned in the same boat to confront other fishermen of Chennai and damaged the boat in the process.

Former Kavali legislator and Capital Region Development Authority member Beeda Masthan Rao intervened and brought the situation under control. Mr Rao, who was in Chennai, summoned leaders of the fishermen community led by Konduru Tirupati to Chennai to hold talks with the leaders of Chennai fishermen after the latter handed over the fishermen of Anjaneyapuram to Rayapuram Police in Chennai.