Colombo, Sri Lanka has expressed concern to India over the death of a naval sailor who was killed in a recent operation to seize an Indian trawler allegedly engaged in illegal fishing in the island nation's territorial waters.
Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Delhi Kshenuka Seneviratne conveyed the message to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Ministry sources here said on Monday.
On June 25, off the coast of Point Pedro in the north, a senior sailor from the Navy's special boat squadron suffered critical injuries due to "the aggressive maneuvers of the Indian trawler, resisting capture," according to a statement issued by the Sri Lanka Navy. he said last week.
"Unfortunately, the senior sailor succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital," he added.
The Navy said 10 Indian fishermen were arrested and their fishing boat was confiscated. The 10 arrested fishermen have been charged with the murder of the sailor as well as causing damage to naval property. The case is scheduled to be heard on July 22 in Mallakum, Jaffna.
A post-mortem examination of the deceased sailor determined that his death was an accident, resulting from spinal cord damage, the Sri Lanka Navy said last week.
Meanwhile, another 25 Indian fishermen aboard four trawlers were detained by the Sri Lanka Navy in the early hours of Monday off the northern islet of Delft, officials said.
Last month, the Navy said in a statement that it had seized a total of 28 Indian poaching fishing boats and 214 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters in 2024 and subsequently handed them over to authorities to initiate legal proceedings.
The fishermen issue is contentious in India-Sri Lanka relations, with Lankan Navy personnel even shooting at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and confiscating their boats in several alleged incidents of illegal entry into Sri Lanka's territorial waters. Sri Lanka.
The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Fishermen from both countries are frequently arrested for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.
Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Delhi Kshenuka Seneviratne conveyed the message to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Ministry sources here said on Monday.
On June 25, off the coast of Point Pedro in the north, a senior sailor from the Navy's special boat squadron suffered critical injuries due to "the aggressive maneuvers of the Indian trawler, resisting capture," according to a statement issued by the Sri Lanka Navy. he said last week.
"Unfortunately, the senior sailor succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital," he added.
The Navy said 10 Indian fishermen were arrested and their fishing boat was confiscated. The 10 arrested fishermen have been charged with the murder of the sailor as well as causing damage to naval property. The case is scheduled to be heard on July 22 in Mallakum, Jaffna.
A post-mortem examination of the deceased sailor determined that his death was an accident, resulting from spinal cord damage, the Sri Lanka Navy said last week.
Meanwhile, another 25 Indian fishermen aboard four trawlers were detained by the Sri Lanka Navy in the early hours of Monday off the northern islet of Delft, officials said.
Last month, the Navy said in a statement that it had seized a total of 28 Indian poaching fishing boats and 214 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters in 2024 and subsequently handed them over to authorities to initiate legal proceedings.
The fishermen issue is contentious in India-Sri Lanka relations, with Lankan Navy personnel even shooting at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and confiscating their boats in several alleged incidents of illegal entry into Sri Lanka's territorial waters. Sri Lanka.
The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Fishermen from both countries are frequently arrested for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.
