Supreme Court gives notice on Tamil Nadu fishermen

New Delhi  : The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the central and Tamil Nadu governments on a petition seeking protection to the fishermen from the state arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy.

“Not only they captured the fishermen but also damaged their boats,” and it takes months before they are freed, said the apex court bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

Issuing the notice returnable in four weeks, Chief Justice Sathasivam said: “We are happy that all the MPs of Tamil Nadu cutting across their party affiliations are united on the issue.”

In a poser, the court said is was not possible to solve the issue politically or diplomatically.

The court was moved by DMK MP A.K.H. Vijayan and an MP belonging to the AIADMK.

The Tamil Nadu government has repeatedly accused the Sri Lankan authorities of arresting fishermen from the state on the narrow sea that divides India and Sri Lanka.