Sri Lanka releases 53 Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture
Fifty-three Indian fishermen were released from a Sri Lankan jail on Friday, days after the two countries decided to release fishermen in each other's custody. The move was aimed at defusing tension following the killing of an Indian fisherman allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy. Another 32 Indian fishermen are still in custody in Vuvuniya jail, Fishery Ministry officials said.
Days after the killing of an Indian fisherman allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, the country today released 53 fishermen."53 fishermen have been released from Jaffna jail while 32 others are still in custody in Vuvuniya jail," Fishery Ministry officials said.Sri Lanka had earlier informed the Indian High Commission in Colombo that it will release all 85 Indian fishermen in their custody, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.Sri Lanka and India on Wednesday agreed to release fishermen held in each other's custody after a high-level discussion between the two sides in Colombo in a bid to defuse the tension following the killing of an Indian fisherman.A 22-year-old fisherman from Tamil Nadu was killed and another injured on March 6 allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy. (With inputs from PTI)