In a major development on Friday (3rd October), the Narendra Modi-led Indian government repatriated 15 fishermen who were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The fishermen, who hail from the Indian State of Tamil Nadu, had ‘crossed’ the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) at different times during this year.
They were detained on accusations of ‘cross-border fishing.’ On Friday, they returned to India via a special flight to Chennai.
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 15 fishermen released from the Sri Lankan prison reach Chennai airport. Two of these fishermen were arrested on February 19, seven on July 13, two on July 21, and four on August 8, allegedly for cross-border fishing. pic.twitter.com/yFjQ9chR2K
— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2025
2 of the fishermen were arrested in February while 9 others were caught in July. The remaining 4 fishermen were detained in August this year.
Following their return to India, the fishermen were met by officers belonging to the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department.
Cross-border fishing and arbitrary arrests of Indian fishermen have been the bone of contention between the two countries for a long time now.
