Arrested Indian fishermen remanded in Sri Lanka

Over 100 Indian fishermen arrested in neighboring Sri Lanka's northern waters have been ordered to be remanded, officials said Wednesday.

Some 106 Indian fishermen on board 18 trawlers accused of poaching in Sri Lanka's maritime waters were arrested Tuesday after being intercepted by Sri Lankan fishermen off the northern Jaffna peninsula and handed over to police.

The local magistrate ordered them to be remanded till February 28 amidst diplomatic efforts to secure their release, Sri Lankan officials said.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday that his government takes a "very serious view" of the Indian fishermen arrest by Sri Lanka.

Fishermen of both nations stray into each other's fishing limits resulting in litigation by both nations.

In the recent weeks, alleged Sri Lankan navy's shooting and killing of two Indian fishermen sparked diplomatic brawl between Sri Lanka and India.

Nirupama Rao, the Indian foreign secretary visited here to seek assurances from Colombo to prevent such incidents.

The Sri Lankan navy firmly denied the accusations and hinted a third group may have been responsible for the killings.

Source: Xinhua