1 day Ago By Express News Service
THOOTHUKUDI/RAMANATHAPURAM: The Sri Lankan court imposed a fine of 3.5 crore LKR or six months of imprisonment on 10 Tharuvaikulam fishermen for allegedly trespassing and fishing illegally in Lankan waters on Wednesday. Condemning the court order, fishermen from Tharuvaikulam staged a protest in front of the Puttalam court on Thursday.
The court also imposed a fine of LKR 6.5 crore or three months imprisonment on 35 fishermen from Pamban. The Lankan navy seized four country boats owned by Ranjan, Charles, Susai and Martin from Pamban and arrested the 35 fishermen on charges of violating the International Maritime Boundary Line.
They were lodged at the Wariyapola prison. The Puttalam court pronounced orders on the 10 fishermen, who were on a vessel owned by one Then Denila. The court ordered a fine of 2 crore LKR for trespassing and 1.
5 crore LKR for fishing illegally, which comes up to `96.5 lakh. As many as seven Tharuvaikulam fishermen staged the protest after the order was pronounced, and three of them were hospitalised over ill-health.
Subsequently, they ended their protest after the intervention of officials from the Indian embassy, sources said. Sources said the Lankan navy arrested 22 fishermen and seized two boats on August 5 for allegedly fishing in Lankan waters. The judgment on 12 of the Tharuvaikulam fishermen who were aboard a vessel owned by Antony Michael Raj was passed on September 3.
Notably, the Puttalam court had imposed the same fine on the 12 fishers. The order of the Lankan court had upset the fishermen’s families in Tharuvaikulam. Lawrence, a fisherman, said, “The overall fine imposed on the 22 fishermen together comes up to 7 crore LKR or imprisonment for six months, which is unacceptable.
If the fishermen were capable of paying such a huge amount, they would not be involved in fishing.” The families of the fishermen demanded the Indian government to pay attention to the plight of the fishermen and realise that such a huge penalty cannot be paid by them..
