Sri Lankan Navy arrests 12 Indian fishermen; TN CM flags issue with Centre
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday expressed concern over the "alarming frequency" with which Indian fishermen from the state were being harassed allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, and urged that the Centre intervene to ensure the release of 28 such fisherfolk from Lankan custody.
Bringing the latest instance of the arrest of TN fishermen to the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin said 12 of them were arrested on Thursday and two mechanised fishing boats were seized by the Lankan Navy.
"In this year alone, so far 28 fishermen and four fishing boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. It is highly disheartening to note that our fishermen are facing harassment at the hands of the Sri Lankan Navy at an alarming frequency," he told the PM in a letter.
"It continues despite several letters of protest sent by Government of Tamil Nadu highlighting the escalation in the number of such instances of arrests of our fishermen."
Stating that the arrests and "violent" attacks on Indian fishermen had been continuing unabated despite the Government of India's diplomatic initiatives, Stalin urged the Centre to make concerted efforts to "permanently end" the repeated attempts by the Sri Lankan Navy to "infringe upon the historic fishing rights" of Tamil Nadu fishermen in Palk Bay.
"The continuing incidents of incarceration of the fishermen and their boats have created a deep sense of despondency among the fishermen community, as fishing is their only means of livelihood," the CM pointed out.
"As of now 104 fishing boats of Tamil Nadu are in the custody of Sri Lanka and five fishing boats that were released by Sri Lanka are yet to be repatriated to India. Further, 16 Indian fishermen are already in Sri Lankan prisons."
Staling sought Modi's personal intervention in this matter and requested that the authorities concerned be directed to take effective steps to secure the release of all 28 fishermen and their fishing boats detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
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Accused in Panambur Beach murder case arrested from Chombala near Kozhikode
Mangaluru: Mangaluru police have arrested a 50-year-old man from Kozhikode, Kerala, in connection with the murder of a 39-year-old man near Panambur Beach in Mangaluru. The accused, identified as Dharmaraj Suvarna, a resident of Thotabengre in Mangaluru, was arrested on Thursday night by a team of officers from the Panambur Police Station.
The victim, Muttu Basavaraj Vaddar, also known as Mudukappa, hailed from Amingada in Bagalkot. He had reportedly been on friendly terms with Suvarna. According to the police, the incident that led to the murder began over a dispute involving a mobile phone. Suvarna had recently purchased a new phone, which was borrowed by Mudukappa. Mudukappa allegedly damaged the device and did not return it, leading to escalating tensions between the two men.
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On Sunday, the disagreement culminated in a violent altercation, during which Suvarna allegedly struck Mudukappa with a wooden log, resulting in his death. Mudukappa's body was later discovered near the shore at Thotabengre estuary, raising concerns among local residents.
Following the discovery of the body, the Panambur Police registered a case and launched an investigation. Acting on credible information about Suvarna's whereabouts, the police team tracked him to Chombala in Kozhikode. The operation, carried out within the Chombala Police Station limits, led to Suvarna's arrest late at night.
