Twenty-four Tamil Nadu fishermen released from Maldives prison return home
The fishermen were detained by the Maldives Coast Guard on October 13 for allegedly entering territorial waters.
Twenty-four fishermen from Tharuvaikulam fishing village in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu returned home on November 8, according to reports from The Tribune and ANI. The fishermen had been detained by the Maldives Coast Guard on October 13 after venturing into the sea in three mechanised fishing boats.
The fishermen were intercepted for allegedly entering Maldivian territorial waters while fishing in the Arabian Sea. The three boats involved have been identified as A. Nicson, A.
Aron and Advin. Of the released group, nine were from A. Nicson, seven from A.
Aron and eight from Advin.
The release followed directions from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who had written to Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar to facilitate the repatriation. The Thoothukudi District Information and Public Relations Office stated that steps were taken through the Union Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian High Commission in Maldives to secure their release.
The Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department received the fishermen at the Thiruvananthapuram airport and arranged for their return to their native places. The state government bore the expenses for their air travel. The fishermen hail from various districts, including Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram and Villupuram.
The Hindu reported that the release of two remaining fishermen was delayed because they are Sri Lankan refugees and certain procedural formalities were still being completed in the Maldives. The Maldives Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture had previously imposed a fine of Rs 4.80 crore.