Indian Coast Guard ship Rajtarang to undertake repatriation of 39 Sri Lankan fishermen on June 16

CHENNAI: Indian Coast Guard will on Monday repatriate 39 Sri Lankan fishermen, who were detained here between March and June.

Indian Coast Guard ship Rajtarang is scheduled to undertake repatriation of 39 Sri Lankan fishermen at Indo-Sri Lankan IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line) on June 16, a Coast Guard release here said.

The Lankan fishermen were handed over to Coast Guard officials by Tamil Nadu Police and the ship left Chennai at 2 pm today, it said.

However, "the state has not released apprehended eight Sri Lankan fishing boats," it added.

The fishermen were detained during "different operations" conducted on May 11 and 24 and June 7, this year, it said, adding that the Coast Guard had repatriated 273 Sri Lankan fishermen and 47 of their boats this year after they violated the IMBL.