Sri Lanka Releases Nine Indian Fishermen, Sentences Boat Driver to Six Months

A Sri Lankan court on Monday ordered the release of nine out of ten Indian fishermen who were arrested for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on January 8. The boat driver, however, was sentenced to six months in prison.

The fishermen, who had set sail from Karaikal fishing harbour on January 7 in a mechanized boat named PS Rajiv Gandhi, were apprehended southeast of Kodiyakarai (Point Calimere) by the Sri Lankan Navy. The crew consisted of members from Vanagiri, Perumalpettai, Vellakoil, Keezhakasakudimedu, Karaikalmedu, and Samanthanpettai in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal districts.

Initially placed in judicial custody until February 3, the fishermen were produced in court for a hearing before Judge Nalini Subaskaran. Two of them were released unconditionally due to their age, while seven others were freed with a warning against future IMBL violations.

Boat driver P. Anbazhagan (42) from Karaikal received a six-month jail term and a penalty of 4 million Sri Lankan Rupees. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional three months of imprisonment. The mechanized boat, registered under P. Selvamani, the elder brother of the convicted fisherman, remains in Sri Lankan custody.

Selvamani, a resident of Keezhakasakudi, urged authorities for his brother’s release, citing their heavy financial dependence on the boat. "The vessel, worth over ₹1 crore, is our livelihood. Please release my brother and our boat," he pleaded.

The freed fishermen will be handed over to the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka and are expected to be repatriated soon.