|
|
11 'kidnapped' Indian fishermen return home
May 18, 2007 - 11:18:04 PM
|
|
|
Mukherjee speculated that the alleged LTTE ship sunk off the Maldivian coast Thursday could have been the 'renamed and repainted' missing fishing craft 'Sri Krishna' and Simon could be one of the persons apprehended by the coast guard of the Maldives since he spoke in Malayalam.
|
By IANS,
[RxPG] Chennai, May 18 - Eleven of the dozen Indian fishermen reportedly kidnapped by the Tamil Tigers in March returned to Tamil Nadu late Friday evening and were being quizzed by the crime branch of state police.
Tamil Nadu's police chief D. Mukherjee confirmed that the fishermen had returned but refused to divulge details.
The fishermen returned in two batches of five and six between 5 and 7.45 p.m. and landed in Narikuli and Thangachimadam near the south Tamil Nadu port of Rameshwaram.
Police sources indicated that the fishermen were being debriefed by the state police's 'Q' branch criminal investigation department.
Authorities are refusing to say whether the fishermen escaped from the Tiger rebels' custody or were released by the terrorists.
One of the kidnapped 12, Simon - a boat mechanic from Kerala - has not returned. Police suspect that he may have been captured by Maldivian authorities on Thursday.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - had denied a role in the kidnapping as well as the killing of five Indian fishermen.
John Kennedy, whose three relatives were among those who returned home, said on telephone that he had been informed by police about their return.
The 12 fishermen from Kodimunai in Kanyakumari district had set sail in the fishing craft 'Sri Krishna' on March 7. Apart from Simon, the rest hail from Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts of Tamil Nadu.
Mukherjee speculated that the alleged LTTE ship sunk off the Maldivian coast Thursday could have been the 'renamed and repainted' missing fishing craft 'Sri Krishna' and Simon could be one of the persons apprehended by the coast guard of the Maldives since he spoke in Malayalam.
On April 27, Mukherjee said that the rebels' 'Sea Tigers' naval wing was responsible for the killing of five Tamil Nadu fishermen on March 29 off Kanyakumari. He had said that the 12 missing fishermen were in LTTE custody.
|
Subscribe to India Newsletter
|
|
E-mail Address:
|
|
Feedback
|
For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send
any medical news or health news press releases, use
feedback form
|
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
