Katchatheevu plea rejected in India

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has stated that it would not entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Ministry of Law and Justice to move the International Court of Justice against Sri Lanka to retrieve Katchatheevu, IBN reported.

The division Bench of the Court felt that the PIL, originally filed by MLA Jawahirullah, sought for directions against Sri Lanka for breach of international responsibility.

According to the petitioner, fishermen from India had no hindrance while fishing in the Palk Straits until 1974, before the island was given to Lanka by India. The petitioner said that Indian fishermen have been detained illegally in Sri Lanka against the principles of law which entitles India to raise a dispute before the International Court of Justice. When the matter was posted before Justices N Paul Vasanthakumar and P Devadass, they noted that a similar case is pending in the SC. The Bench also said it would not entertain the petition, but on the request of the counsel for the petitioner, posted the matter for hearing on February 23.