Ensure release of fishermen, Jayalalithaa tells PM

Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Saturday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s immediate intervention in ensuring the release of four Indian fishermen hailing from Tamil Nadu allegedly taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday.

In a letter to Mr Modi, the Chief Minister said the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended the fishermen in the early hours of Thursday and took them to Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna peninsula.

Ms Jayalalithaa told the Prime Minister that she had repeatedly brought to his attention the Sri Lankan Government’s “inhumane and cruel strategy” of delaying the release of the boats and fishing gear of Indian fishermen, which is causing great loss of livelihood to our fishermen and their families.

“I am constrained to point out that despite my repeated requests, the seized boats and gear belonging to the fishermen of TN have not been released by the Sri Lankan authorities so far. I once again request that the fishing boats and gear of our fishermen should immediately be released and restored to them
in a refurbished condition,” she said in the letter.