Four of a family from Jaffna in Sri Lanka reached the Dhanushkodi islet on a boat in the early hours of Monday, Marine Police in Rameswaram said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the people identified as M. Pradeep Kumar (37), his wife Mary (34), daughters Kruthiha (7) and Krismitha (4) had been living in Jaffna. Due to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, the family said they were unable to survive as essential commodities were either scarce or unaffordable. Hence, they decided to leave the island nation about a week ago. After paying ₹ 1 lakh in Sri Lankan currency to a local agent in Mannar, they were asked to get into a vessel on July 30, 2023 (Sunday) and after about two hours of sailing, they were dropped off at the Dhanushkodi islet at around 1.30 a.m. on Monday.
Following the receipt of information, the Marine Police went to the spot and brought the family to the shore for an investigation. Subsequently, they were handed over to the officials at the Mandapam Rehabilitation Centre.
