Indian fisher’s body handed over

By Norman Palihawadane

The body of an Indian fisherman, who drowned due to an accident while the victim was engaged in illegal fishing, was handed over to Indian authorities near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on Saturday (23) morning. A search and rescue (SAR) operation mounted by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), led to the recovery of the body of the missing fisherman who had been onboard a trawler that sank northwest of the Kovilan Lighthouse in Sri Lankan waters in the evening of 18 Oct., the Navy said.

An SLN Fast Attack Craft transferred the corpse and formally handed it over to the Indian Coast Guard at the IMBL yesterday. Meanwhile, onward legal proceedings regarding the two fishermen rescued by the Navy from the peril are currently underway at the Kayts Magistrate Court.