Sri Lankan court orders release of 56 Indian fishermen

Colombo: A Sri Lankan court ordered the release of 56 Indian fishermen who were detained for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters on January 25, a verdict that sets free all the remaining Indian fisherfolk languishing in the country’s jails.

The court in the northern Jaffna peninsula ordered the release of the fishermen who were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy in mid-December in the seas south of Mannar.

“Happy to learn that a Court has ordered the release of 56 #Indian fishermen,” Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a tweet.

Both Sri Lankan officials and the Indian diplomatic sources confirmed the release and noted that now there are no more Indian fishermen in the island nation’s custody.

Last month, India had expressed concern over the detention of 68 of its fishermen from Tamil Nadu by Sri Lankan authorities and said the issue of their “early release” has been taken up with the island nation.

The issue of fishermen remains one of the irritants in India and Sri Lanka ties.

There have been several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats.

Image courtesy of (Photo courtesy: dnaindia.com)

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