50 fishermen injured in 'attack' by Lankan naval personnel

RAMESWARAM: Fifty fishermen from Tamil Nadu were injured when they were attacked allegedly by Sri Lankan Naval personnel while fishing off Katchathivu island, Fisheries department officials said on Sunday.

The officials said the naval personnel in eight patrol boats intercepted about 200 fishermen in 130 boats off Katchathivu (an island ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974), assaulted them and took away their catch, their Global Positioning systems and batteries last night.

They however did not say how many of them have been hospitalised.

Fishermen Association president P Jeysu said each of the affected boat owners had suffered losses of about Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000.