Jun 16, 2019, 1:30 PM IST
Colombo: 18 Indian fishermen, who were arrested for illegally fishing in the Sri Lankan waters, have been released by the island country.
The fishermen, who were held off the coast of Point Pedro two months ago by the Sri Lankan Navy, were freed by a court in Sri Lanka on Friday.
“They are now to be handed over to the immigration officials for repatriation to India,” the official said. The fishermen will be flown to Madurai from Sri Lanka and will then be taken to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
Fishermen are often arrested by the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly crossing over to the Sri Lankan side.
The release comes just after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka. PM Modi landed in Colombo on June 9, when the country was still limping back from the Easter Sunday blasts that killed over 250 people.