'Sri Lankan Navy snapped fishing nets of TN fishermen'

RAMESWARAM: Sri Lankan Navy snapped fishingnets of Tamil Nadu fishermen in more than 20 boats when theywere fishing near Katchatheevu today, official sources said.

The Naval men, in three ships and two boats, had yesterdaywarned fishermen against fishing near Katchatheevu, an isletin the Palk straits and ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 byway of a pact, forcing fishermen in more than 100 boats returnwithout fishing, they said.

Police said about 750 boats from this island and 650 boatsfrom Mandapam near here had left for the sea last night.

Meanwhile, one fisherman, who fell off the boat after itwas broken last night, was feared to have drowned off Dhanushkodi coast in Indian waters.

His son and two other fishermen in the boat managed to escape and reach the coast, the sources said.