Chennai, Oct 5(BPNS)

Nine fishermen from Nagercoil who were in an Iran jail for the past nineteen months have reached back Chennai on Monday. The fishermen were arrested by the Iranian Coast Guard after they have allegedly waded into the Iran territorial waters while they were engaged in fishing.

The fishermen, Albert Ravi, Dynas, Godwin Jon Weldon, Arockia Ligin, joseph Beski, Jesudas, Sahaya Vijay, Michael Adimai, and Wellington were working for a Kuwait based fishing group and while fishing in the waters, they were alleged to have waded into Iranian waters and arrested by the Iranian Coast Guard.

The fishermen had on that day started from Fhahaeel in Kuwait in three boats in the morning and were caught by the Iranian Coast Guard by evening.

Mary Mariam, a close relative of one of the fishermen while speaking to BPNS from Nagercoil said, “It has been nineteen months that my brother is in an Iranian Jail. We thank the Indian government and the Tamil Nadu government for having taken extra efforts to bring them back to India. They had gone to Kuwait for a better living and now situation has reached this stage. Anyway, we are thankful to God that they are back to our country.”

It may be recalled that Indian fishermen are been subjected to attacks near Kattachitheevu by the Sri Lankan Naval personal for the past few months and several have suffered injuries and fishing nets and boats were getting destroyed.