Subramanian Swamy urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back Indian fishermen on Lanka death row

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in brining back five Indian fishermen who were were awarded death penalty by a Sri Lankan court for alleged drug trafficking.

In a letter to Modi, Swamy said India had signed a treaty on transfer of sentenced prisoners with Sri Lanka and invoking its provisions, the five fishermen could be brought back and allowed to stay in a prison in India pending their appeal.

He said, as per provisions of the treaty, the fishermen could be allowed to seek "legal remedies" in Indian courts.

The five fishermen, all hailing from Tamil Nadu, were apprehended in 2011 by the Sri Lankan Navy and are among a group of eight people sentenced to death by the high court in Colombo for alleged drug trafficking.

The Ministry of External Affairs had yesterday said that India's High Commission in Colombo will appeal against the verdict in a higher court.