No Lankan fishermen held in Tamil Nadu

S Thillainathan in New Delhi

Over the past three months, 78 Sri Lankan fishermen and 16 boats have been seized and held by Indian authorities.

Sixteen persons were released over the past two weeks while 62 fishermen remain in jail.

Not a single of these Sri Lankan fishermen are in Tamil Nadu. The Sri Lankan High Commission sources said the fishermen are being held at Andra Pradesh, Kerala and in the Andaman and Nicorbar islands.

Some of them are being held in the Minico islands off Kerala.

Two Sri Lankan boats have already been released while another two boats with sixteen Sri Lankan fishermen were rescued recently by the Indian Navy, the sources.