Jayalalitha urges PM Narendra Modi to secure release of fishermen held captive by Iran

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on Friday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in securing the release of five fishermen from the state jailed in Iran.

In a letter to Modi, the text of which was released to the media here, she said five fishermen working in Saudi Arabia were arrested by Iranian coast guard after they strayed into Iranian waters while fishing on April 24, 2016.

"The above five Indian fishermen are lodged in central jail, Dehloran, Iran," Jayalalithaa said, seeking Modi's personal intervention to instruct the Indian embassies in Tehran and Riyadh to take effective legal steps to secure the immediate release of these poor innocent men from Tamil Nadu.