Nineteen fishermen from Tamil Nadu, hailing from Nagapattinam and Ramanathapuram, arrived at Chennai airport on Friday night after being released from Sri Lankan prisons. The fishermen, who had been detained by the Sri Lankan Navy last month, were warmly received at the airport by officials from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department and later transported to their hometowns in government-arranged vehicles.

The fishermen had ventured into the sea on August 24, when they were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy during a routine patrol. The Navy accused them of crossing the maritime boundary and fishing in Sri Lankan waters, seizing their fishing nets and catch. The arrests caused unrest among the fishing communities in Tamil Nadu, who alleged that the fishermen had been wrongfully detained while fishing within Indian waters.

The incident prompted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to intervene, sending an urgent letter to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. In his letter, Stalin urged the central government to secure the immediate release of the detained fishermen and their boats through diplomatic efforts.

Following diplomatic negotiations between India and Sri Lanka, the fishermen were freed and brought back to Chennai on an Air India flight from Colombo. Their release was met with relief and gratitude from the families and the fishing community, who had been anxiously awaiting their safe return.

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