#TamilNadu fisherman’s killing: Sri Lanka navy denies allegations of shooting Indian fishermen
Rameshwaram, Mar 7: Sri Lanka Navy on Tuesday denied allegations of opening fire at Indian fishermen, who were fishing between Danushkodi and Katchatheevu off the Tamil Nadu coast. Sri Lanka Navy Spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Chaminda Walakuluge vehemently denied allegations of shooting and said the Navy had never been ordered to fire at Indian fishermen nor had they done so, reported Daily Mirror.
A group of Indian fishermen were allegedly fired upon by the Sri Lankan Navy in which one fisherman was killed. The deceased was identified as a 22-year-old man named Pricho. Around 500 boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen went for fishing on Friday evening. The Sri Lankan navy allegedly started firing in which Pricho died of the bullet injury on his neck and another man named Saravanan got injured.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka navy sources said they didn’t fire at Indian fishermen. “The fishermen may have been caught in the cross fire or they could have been part of the smuggling operations. When something like this happens they point the finger at the Sri Lankan Navy,” the sources were quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the Indian government expressed deep concerns over the killing of Tamil Nadu fisherman. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu took up the matter with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Tamil Nadu Government has announced Rs. five lakh for the dead and Rs. one lakh for the fisherman injured in shooting by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Condemning the killing of the fisherman, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin has urged the Central Government to react strongly and demanded it to hold embassy-level talks at once on the issue. “It’s high time the Central Government reacts strongly to this problem. The Central Government cannot be a mute spectator. It should take up this issue with Indian ambassador in Sri Lanka or the High Commission of Sri Lanka in India,” Stalin said in a statement.
