TN fishers urge release of arrested colleagues, claim Lankan sailor's death was accidental
New Indian ExpressNAGAPATTINAM: Even as the ten Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday for alleged poaching face additional charges of causing the death of a naval sailor who was part of the team that seized their trawler, the fisher community in Tamil Nadu seek their repatriation saying that the death could have been accidental. In the early hours of June 25, the Sri Lankan navy’s Northern Naval Command arrested the group of 10 while they were fishing near the island nation’s Delft Island. “They face charges for illegal fishing in SL waters, death of a naval person during the operation and for causing damage to naval property,” a recent statement from the island’s navy stated. We request the Union and Tamil Nadu governments to intervene for their release.” RMP Rajendira Nattar, the president of Indian National Fishermen Union, said, “Traditionally, our fishers have not behaved aggressively with the Sri Lankan navy under such circumstances of confrontation.