Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma, Commander, India’s Coast Guard Region East, said that the arrest of Indian fishermen was a better course of action adopted by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Speaking to The Hindu, the Commander said that he had information that 112 fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of straying into the island waters. If they willfully strayed into their waters, arrest was a step in the right direction, he said.
(Note by Editor: The Sri Lanka Navy denies any involvement in the arrest of these fishermen. They were apprehended by Sri Lankan fishermen and handed over to the police.)
Mr. Sharma said that it was stressed to Sri Lankan authorities a few days ago, when the issue of alleged killing of two Indian fishermen was taken up with them (through diplomatic channels), that if their navy happened to spot willful incursion by Indian fishermen, they should not resort to firing; they could be arrested. In this case, it appeared that the Sri Lankan Navy had acted accordingly, he added.
He said that the Indian authorities followed the same approach whenever Sri Lankan fishermen were spotted in Indian waters.