Chennai, Nov 5 : Ninety-seven Indian fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, for allegedly straying into the Lankan waters, returned to their homes in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam District early on Monday morning.

The fishermen, who belonged to the Akkaraipettai and Keechankuppam coastal villages of the district, were detained along with 17 boats.

They were released on the orders of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
 
Selvaraj, a fishermen, said they were fishing in the deep sea off Kodiakkarai on October 31 when four Sri Lankan Naval officials surrounded their boats and asked them to surrender at gun point and to accompany them.

He informed that they were taken to an army camp in Kangesanthurai, Sri Lanka, and later handed over to the police. (ANI)