10 fishermen from Puducherry's Karaikal detained by Sri Lankan Navy

Puducherry Jan 9 (PTI) Ten fishermen from Karaikal, an enclave of Puducherry, were arrested in the early hours of Thursday by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in the waters of the island nation.

Puducherry Fisheries Minister, K Lakshminarayanan, confirmed the arrest and told PTI that the territorial government was seeking the Centre's intervention for the release of the detained fishermen.

The mechanised boat used by the arrested fishermen was also seized by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Puducherry government plans to bring the matter to the attention of the External Affairs Minister and will request the Centre's immediate intervention for the release of the fishermen, he said.

The Sri Lankan Navy has taken all the fishermen into custody for further investigation. PTI