Sri Lanka Navy attack: Fishers booked for stir seeking re-postmortem of 'custodial death' victim

RAMESWARAM: Thangachimadam police booked 12 people, who staged road roko on Saturday evening, demanding to conduct re-postmortem on the body of one of the four fishermen who died while under the custody of the Sri Lankan Navy. 

Based on a complaint lodged by the Pamban Village Administrative Officer Paneerselvam, Thangachimadam police booked a section of fisher folk who took to the roads on the Ramanathapuram - Rameswaram highway, protesting for about a couple of hours. 

They were booked on charges of rioting with deadly weapons, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation. After autopsy of bodies of the four fishers who reportedly died by drowning after their boat was damaged by the Sri Lankan Navy, the bodies were first taken to Pudukkottai district in the afternoon and then to Ramanathapuram where the collector and Superintendent of Police E Karthik paid tributes. 

Despite the State government’s order to conduct re-postmortem and to videograph it at the Ramanathapuram District Government Hospital, the bereaved families consented to receive bodies, said sources.

 However, a section of fishermen objected to handing over the body of A Mesiya to the family and demanded a re-postmortem in Indian soil. After talks were held by police officials, protest was withdrawn.