Sri Lankan Navy Fire Kills One TN fisherman Injures 100

Rameswaram  - Sri Lankan navy personals fired at 40 odd mechanized fishing boats in the sea near disputed Kachathivu area. One fisherman was killed and 100 injured in the Lankan Navy firing and killed fisherman identified as Murugan from Thataneri in Madurai.

Sri Lankan navy personals also used iron rods, other sharp objects in addition to direct firing on the Tamil Nadu (TN) fishermen in that area. Also the Sri Lankan navy personals threw their catch into the sea.

According to Revenue District Officer Poonkodi official, they handed over a cheque of Rs three lakh to the family of the deceased today.

The TN Fisheries Department received many complains from fishermen in the past and many TN fishermen were killed and many others were injured in the heavy handed handling of the TN fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy in the past.

Meanwhile, local fishing community leaders, incensed over the alleged killing on the Palk Strait - the narrow expanse of water separating India and Sri Lanka - have called for immediate intervention by the government of India to stop it and threatened to begin an indefinite strike, earlier reports said. So far, over 30 Indian fishermen have lost their lives allegedly due to Sri Lankan naval firing this year.

A Fisherman told TNS is Rameshwaram that latest attack by the Lankan navy yet again, is a violation of the assurance given by Sri Lanka to M K Narayanan, National Security Advisor to PM, that Sri Lankan navy would not attack TN fishermen.