Tharuvaikulam Fishermen Return From Maldives Jail to Tamil Nadu

Twenty-four fishermen from Tharuvaikulam village in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, were released from a Maldives prison and flown to Thiruvananthapuram on 8 November, according to All India Radio and the Tamil Nadu government. Maldivian authorities had held them since October for allegedly fishing in Maldivian waters without authorisation, and Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department officials received them at the airport and arranged their journey home.

Three Boats, About Four Weeks in Custody

The men were on three mechanised boats on a deep-sea trip when they were picked up. Reports differ on the details: The Tribune put the arrest on 13 October and said 25 men were detained, while All India Radio said the Maldives Navy arrested the group for trespassing in international waters in the Arabian Sea. The Tribune also reported that the Maldives fisheries ministry imposed a total fine of Rs 4.80 crore; no other outlet carried that figure, so it should be treated as reported by one source.

How the Release Came About

The state government said Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay gave directions and the fisheries minister followed the case, working through the Union External Affairs Ministry and the Indian High Commission in the Maldives. The Tribune reported that Vijay had written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asking the Centre to take the matter up through diplomatic channels. The state paid for the men’s air travel, The News Mill reported.

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Whether the fine was paid, reduced or waived has not been stated by either government. The boats’ status is also unclear.

More Tamil Nadu stories are collected under the Tamil Nadu tag on IPB News.

Source: All India Radio report. Also based on reporting by The Tribune and The News Mill.

Image: All India Radio.