Arrested Kalpity fishermen to appear in Mannar Court

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 October 2006, 00:02 GMT]
Thirty one Kalpity fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) based in Talaimannar on September 21 for allegedly entering the high security zone in six trawlers were ordered remand and by the Mannar additional magistrate T.J.Pirapaharan, and are to appear in court Tuesday , legal sources said.

The suspects, 29 of them Sinhalese, left Kalpity fisheries jetty on September 20 afternoon in six trawlers towards Trincomalee for deep sea fishing had drifted on a sandbank in Talaimannar Sea on September 21. They were arrested by the SLN personnel on patrolling the high security zone of Talaimannar Sea on 22 September.

They were detained in the Talaimannar SLN camp for entering the HSZ. Six trawlers are in the custody of the SLN.

The suspects were handed over to the Talaimannar Police Sunday after nine day-detention in the SLN camp. Talaimannar Police produced the 31 Kalpity fishermen in Mannar court Monday morning.

Attorneys M.M.Sabordeen and Basha Jabarullah made an application on behalf of the suspects for bail. However the additional magistrate refused the bail application and ordered remand for the suspects and instructed the Talaimannar Police to furnish a full report on the incident after completing further investigation on October 3, legal sources said.

The suspects said that their trawlers drifted on the sand bank when they were on their way to Trincomalee for deep sea fishing via Silavathurai, Vankalai, Pesalai, and Talaimannar sea area. They said they had informed the owners of the trawlers by wireless radio before the arrest by the SLN.