One of the six boats impounded by the Sri Lankan navy two years ago was brought to Terespuram on Tuesday in a damaged condition.When the Sri Lankan Navy impounded 42 boats of Tamil fishermen on September 29, 2015 for allegedly fishing in the waters of the island nation, the country boat of Bhaskar of Puthu Theru here was also seized along with seven fishermen. While the fishermen were released in November 2015, the boats remained under the navy’s custody.
As the Sri Lankan government decided to release the impounded boats, Mr. Bhaskar and four others left for Sri Lanka in an Indian Coast Guard ship on September 30.
On reaching the neighbouring country’s territorial waters, the Sri Lankan navy took them to Kalpatti beach where his boat had been anchored.
After repairing the boat to some extent, the fishermen towed it by another boat. They left Sri Lanka on Monday at 5.30 a.m. even as a navy boat guided them up to the International Maritime Boundary Line, from where the Indian Coast Guard took them near Terespuram.