A total of 30 Indian fishermen who were released from Sri Lankan prisons reached Chennai on Monday, Ada Derana reported.
The fishermen, from the Tamil Nadu coastal towns of Rameswaram and the union territory of Karaikal, had been arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy for trespassing into international waters during fishing operations. They were produced before court and held in remand.
Diplomatic engagement led to their release into Indian custody, and they were sent back to India, Indian media reports cited by Ada Derana said.
The handover continues a steady flow of returns this year. Earlier batches included the Navy’s mid-April arrest of 10 Indian fishermen off the northern coast and 12 fishermen detained in Jaffna waters days later, with several subsequent court releases negotiated through India’s diplomatic mission in Colombo.
The arrests have remained politically sensitive in Tamil Nadu, where Chief Minister Vijay’s TVK administration has pressed Delhi for stronger advocacy on fishermen issues since taking office. The Sri Lankan side meanwhile arrested four Tamil Nadu fishermen near Mannar in early May under the seasonal fishing ban, sustaining the recurring cross-strait friction over fishing rights in the Palk Bay.
