Tamil Nadu   

Fisherman shot dead off Kachchatheevu

Paying homage: Relatives mourning Santhiyahu, who was shot dead in mid-sea off Kachchatheevu on Tuesday. Ramanathapuram Collector R. Kirlosh Kumar is in the picture.

RAMESWARAM: Just two days after resumption of mechanised sea fishing after the 45-day ban, a Tamil Nadu fisherman was shot dead, allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy, on Monday night, sparking tension on the Rameswaram island.

The incident reportedly took place in Sri Lankan waters near Kachchatheevu, very close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

The victim Santhiyahu (20), son of Micheal of Thangachimadam, was among four fishermen who ventured into the sea in a mechanised boat on Monday morning. The crew of a medium sized boat suddenly opened indiscriminate fire at them. Three members of the fishing boat escaped without injury.

Fellow fishermen hurriedly steered the boat back to the shore in the hope of saving the life of a bleeding Santhiyahu, who died within 45 minutes of the incident.

“The Sri Lankan Navy men, who did not even give a warning, shot at us at close range. I do not know how I am going to forget the horrific incident,” Santhiyahu’s brother Arockiaraj, who was present when the incident took place, told The Hindu.

A large number of fishermen gathered in front of the Government Hospital here, where the body was kept for post-mortem. They raised slogans against the Sri Lankan Navy. They also accused State and Central governments of failing to protect fishermen. They tried to block road traffic.

A group of fisherwomen gheraoed Ramanathapuram Revenue Divisional Officer M. N. Poonkodi at the hospital. A section of the mechanised fishermen have decided to launch an indefinite strike in protest against the firing.

Ramanathapuram Collector R. Kirlosh Kumar, who handed over Rs.1 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the victim’s father, said Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy had spoken to the Union Cabinet Secretary. The government had lodged a complaint with the Sri Lankan High Commission.

In Chennai, Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner P.M. Amza, denied the involvement of his country’s navy. He told The Hindu that the enquiry conducted by the navy had shown that it was in no way connected with the incident.

A press release issued by E.L. Jayawardena, Counsellor (Information), Deputy High Commissioner For Sri Lanka in South India, stated that the naval authorities conducted a thorough investigation. “Its outcome has established that there is no involvement of the Sri Lankan Navy in the alleged incident.”

The Deputy High Commission said on several occasions the Tamil Nadu fishermen themselves had acknowledged the humanitarian assistance rendered to them by the Sri Lankan navy.

“However, it is also a reality that those with vested interests and sinister motives may have attempted to tarnish the image of the Sri Lankan navy among the Tamil Nadu fishermen. Sri Lankan navy follows a practice of treating Indian fishermen, including those detected in Sri Lankan waters, in a humanitarian manner,” the release said.

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