Four fishermen from Seruthur village in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu were injured when a Sri Lankan Naval ship allegedly rammed into their fishing boat, officials said.
The fishing boat capsized after the Sri Lankan Naval vessel allegedly rammed into it and the fishermen fell into the sea.
The collision resulted in significant losses, including nets, GPS equipment, cell phones, and fishing gear worth Rs 6.5 lakh, which were washed away in the sea.
The injured fishermen are Sakthivel, Devaraj, Karthikeyan, and Satheesh. They have been admitted to the Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital for treatment.
The incident occurred off the southeast coast of Kodiyakkarai when a fibre boat owned by Dharman, a resident of Seruthur village in Nagapattinam district, was out in the sea.
The four fishermen had ventured into the sea two days ago. While they were fishing on Tuesday night their boat was allegedly struck by a Sri Lankan Navy vessel, causing it to capsize, the injured fishermen told the Marine Police.
The injured fishermen told the Marine Police authorities that the Sri Lankan Navy had left them struggling at the sea, tangled in their nets and injured.
They also said that even though they were injured, the Sri Lankan Navy officers picked them up and were held for nearly six hours for questioning.
The four injured Tamil Nadu fishermen pleaded with the Sri Lankan officers, saying they were fishing within the Indian waters.
The Sri Lankan Navy later handed the injured fishermen over to other Tamil Nadu fishermen who had arrived at the scene.
Later, the fishermen were brought ashore with the help of others who retrieved their capsized boat from the middle of the sea.
The injured fishermen were transported to Orathur Medical College Hospital by a 108 ambulance after reaching the Seruthur fish landing site.
Nagapattinam Marine Police sources told IANS that they have recorded the affected fishermen's statements and would conduct an inquiry based on them.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had written to Union External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, on Monday, requesting the latter to ensure the release of all the fishermen and boats in Sri Lankan custody and secure a waiver of the hefty penalty imposed on them.
The Chief Minister had in his letter specifically referred to the arrest of 14 Indian fishermen from Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan authorities on September 7.
He also urged the Central government to take measures to revive the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries.
MK Stalin mentioned that as of September 7, a total of 350 fishermen and 49 fishing boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in 2024, the highest in the last six years,
The Chief Minister also said that the Sri Lankan courts were also imposing hefty fines on the fishermen which they were unable to pay.
MK Stalin had also requested EAM Jaishankar to take immediate and concrete diplomatic efforts to ensure the release of all the fishermen and boats in Sri Lankan custody.
