Eight more refugees from Sri Lanka, including four children, were rescued from Arichalmunai on Sunday. However, their statement that they had been stranded in Indian waters at Arichalmunai for the past three days raised eyebrows regarding the surveillance activities of the Central and State agencies.
When personnel from the Indian Coast Guard spotted the refugees stranded at Arichalmunai, they intercepted and brought them to the shores in a hovercraft on Sunday.
According to Chandrakumar, 36, and his wife Delsi, 35, of Killinochi district, Sri Lanka, they reached Arichalmunai on an illegal vessel late on Thursday. “The boatmen returned in a hurry after dropping us off. Under the cover of darkness, we did not know where exactly we were. With just 5 litres of potable water and a few packets of biscuits, we managed to survive till the ICG personnel rescued us,” Ms. Delsi said.
