4 fishermen from Andhra Pradesh have been detained by the Sri Lankan Navy after their boat reportedly crossed into Sri Lankan territorial waters.

In response to preliminary stories, their vessel unintentionally drifted past the Worldwide Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) attributable to a GPS malfunction that displayed incorrect coordinates.

The fishermen have been on their approach again to Kakinada after buying a ship in Tamil Nadu when the incident occurred.

The arrested fishermen have been recognized as Brahmanandam, Nukaraju, Nageswara Rao, and Srinu, hailing from Kakinada and Konaseema districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Upon interception, the Sri Lankan Navy handed them over to the authorities, following which an area courtroom ordered a 14 day judicial remand. The 4 are at the moment lodged in Jaffna jail.

India’s Consul Basic in Jaffna has taken up the matter with Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister. The Sri Lankan authorities has assured that the fishermen will likely be launched after a proper inquiry, which is scheduled to happen on August 11.

In the meantime, the households of the detained fishermen have appealed to the Indian authorities, urging swift motion to safe their launch. Officers are monitoring the scenario and dealing with Sri Lankan counterparts to facilitate their return.

– Ends

Written By Poonamsingh Subedar