15 Indian fishermen arrested by Lankan Navy

Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday allegedly sank an Indian fishing boat by colliding against it near Katchathivu, and arrested 15 fishermen from this coastal town in separate incidents, police said.

An inspector belonging to the state ‘Q’ branch of the police said the Lankan vessel collided with the mechanized boat and it broke into two and sank.

The Lankan Naval personnel arrested the six fishermen who jumped into the sea to escape. They were fishing near Katchathivu when it was sunk, the inspector said.

The arrested fishermen were taken to KankesanthuraiPort in Sri Lanka, the inspector and Joint Director of Fisheries Gopinath said.

In another incident, nine fishermen were arrested by Lankan naval personnel when they were returning from the Palk Straits early Tuesday morning.

Association president T Jesuraja said two boats of the fishermen had sunk and four of them were being ferried back. Five others were also being brought here in another boat when the Lankan naval personnel intercepted both vessels and arrested all of them.

The fishermen were later taken to Neduntheevu in the island nation, he said. Meanwhile, officials said four fishermen were missing. The fishermen, who left the island on Monday, should have returned on Tuesday morning and a search has been launched by their counterparts to trace them.

Jesuraja said fishermen, who put out to sea in 628 boats suffered loss as they could not cross Katchathivu islet and fish in the traditional waters. Each boat owner was estimated to have suffered a loss of about Rs 10,000, he said.