In what came as a major relief to fishers in Rameswaram, three boatmen, who were jailed in Sri Lanka and were to undergo six months of imprisonment, were released by a court in the island nation, fishermen association leader P. Jesu Raja said, on Friday, April 26, 2024.
Thanking the Union government, the Indian High Commission officials, the judiciary in Sri Lanka and the Tamil Nadu government for their efforts, Mr. Jesu Raja told The Hindu however, that eight more fishermen were in prisons and said he hoped the courts would be kind enough to release them as well, soon.
About a month ago, the Sri Lankan court had directed 11 fishermen to undergo six months to two years of imprisonment for repeating the offence of poaching. Apart from their vessels being impounded by the Sri Lankan Navy, their fishnets and catch were also seized. This was the first time a court in Sri Lanka had handed down jail terms to fishers from Tamil Nadu for repeating an offence.
