Plea In Supreme Court Seeks Arrest Of Sri Lankan Naval Personnel For Killing Indian Fishermen

A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking for the arrest of Sri Lankan naval personnel accused of killing four Indian fishermen in January 2021 and for a compensation of Rs. 5 crores each from the Sri Lankan Government to the family of the victims. Filed by Advocate Narender Kumar Verma and drawn by Advocate CR Jaya Sukin , the plea also prays for steps to be taken to protect the Tamil Nadu fishermen and their properties from Sri Lankan Navy, and to avoid such incidents in the future. The plea delineates how four fishermen, who had set out for fishing from Pudukottai district on January 18, 2021, did not return and, after a search operation was undertaken by Indian Coast Guard, it was found that the fishermen had died due to an attack by the Sri Lankan Navy. Highlighting that for the past 30 years, a civil war has been going on between the Tamilians and Sri Lankan Government – "In the civil war, thousands of innocent Tamil people were murdered and brutally killed. Even women, aged persons and children also were brutally murdered by Sri Lankan army", the plea submits the tragic death of the fishermen brings into "focus the perennial tussle between India and the island-nation over marine resources, fishing rights and the maritime boundary". The plea states that figures from the Ministry of External Affairs show that the number of apprehensions of Indian fishermen has reduced – from 787 in 2014 to 454 in 2015 and 290 in 2016. However, there has been a sudden spike in arrests, for instance, with 32 fishermen being apprehended on 4 and 5 March, 2020. "That the Petitioner states in ten years, the TN government noted that there were 167 incidents of shooting by the Lankan navy. Some media reports estimate that around 600 Indian fishermen have been allegedly killed by the Lankan navy personnel so far". Stating that though crossing of the International Boundary Line and fishing in the waters of another country are civilian economic offences, the plea submits that the shooting and killing of fishermen who cross this International Maritime Boundary Line violate all canons of natural justice. It has further been alleged that the Central Government has not had any negotiations with the Sri Lankan government and that they are not thinking of the fishermen from Tamil Nadu as their citizens, despite it being their bounden duty to protect the citizens of its country. "That the Petitioner states the Sri Lankan Government is murdering the Indians without mercy as the German Government hunted the Jews in Germany during the Second World War. Hence, lakhs and lakhs of Indians are running towards Europe, America and Australia as refugees from Sri Lanka". In light of the above, the plea prays for the intervention of the Supreme Court to arrest the accused Sri Lankan Naval personnel who killed the fishermen and to take steps to avoid such incidents in the future.

Plea In Supreme Court Seeks Arrest Of Sri Lankan Naval Personnel For Killing Indian Fishermen

Radhika Roy

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