Four T.N. fishermen robbed mid-sea by suspected Sri Lankan nationals

Four fishermen from Tamil Nadu were robbed of their fishing gear and other equipment by a group of suspected Sri Lankan nationals while they were fishing mid-sea.

Four fishermen from Tamil Nadu were robbed of their fishing gear and other equipment by a group of suspected Sri Lankan nationals while they were fishing mid-sea.

The incident occurred on August 24, 2024, after the fishermen – Kumar, 50, from Kuttiyandiyur, Tharangambadi; Kandhan, 51, from Ariyanattu Street, Nagapattinam; David, 43, from Kovalam, Kanniyakumari; and Sandakrush, 51, from Koothankuzhi – ventured into the sea on a fibre boat from the Nagapattinam fishing harbour.

They were fishing 10 nautical miles east of Kodiyakkarai when they were attacked by four men, suspected to be Tamil-speaking Sri Lankans, who arrived on another boat. They allegedly assaulted the fishermen and stole two boat engines, a GPS device, a mobile phone, 110 litres of petrol stored in three cans, and fishing nets worth ₹2 lakh. The fishermen were left stranded in the sea with only their boat.

On August 29, 2024, they were spotted by other fishermen from Seruthur who provided them with an alternative engine. Using the borrowed engine, they returned to Nagapattinam on August 30, 2024. Vedaranyam Marine Police said they were investigating the incident.

This is the third such incident in the past week.