T. Nadu Govt orders probe into firing

Chennai (PTI): A day after Sri Lanka denied that its Navy fired on Indian fishing vessles off Kodiakkarai (Point Calimere) injuring one fishermen on Friday, the Tamil Nadu Government has ordered a detailed inquiry.

Joint Director of Fisheries (Regional) Chennai R Thillaigovindan had been appointed as the Inquiry Officer, an official release here said on Sunday.

The official would commence his probe at the Office of the Inspector of Fisheries in Vedaranyam near Kodiakkarai and would submit his report to the Fisheries Secretary within 15 days, it said.

The terms of reference of the inquiry included the details of the incident, causes and circumstances leading to the alleged firing, location of the fishing boat at the time of incident and suggesting ways and means to avoid such incidents in future. Reacting to reports about the incident in a section of the media, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission here last night denied involvement of its navy in the firing.

“The Sri Lankan Government was committed to the October 26 India-Sri Lanka Joint Statement on fishing arrangements that there would be no firing on Indian fishing vessels,” the commission said. “In keeping with the longstanding practice which was reiterated and further spelt out by the Joint Statement, there was no incident of firing by the Sri Lanka Navy on Indian fishing vessels on November 7, including in the general area of the axis Kodiakkarai-Kankesanturai,” it said.

The commission said Sri Lankan Government believed that the incident was the handiwork of LTTE aimed at harming the bilateral ties between Sri Lanka and India.