RAMANATHAPURAM, January 24, 2013 | The Hindu
D. J. Walter Scott
The prospects of early release of five Thangachimadam
fishermen, incarcerated in Welikada prison in Sri Lanka for more than a year,
look bleak as the Colombo High court has adjourned the hearing to March 12 for
examination of witnesses.
When the case came up for hearing before Justice
Soorasena in the fourth court of Colombo High Court, the judge fixed March 12,
14, 15, 22 and April 3 for examination of 12 witnesses in the case, according
to U. Arulanandam, president of the Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen
(ARIF), fighting for the release of the fishermen.
Mr. Arulanandam, based in Pamban near here and has
been championing the cause of both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen, was present
in the Colombo High court, when the case came up for hearing. He had also met
the five fishermen, languishing in the Welikada prison after they were arrested
by the Sri Lankan Navy on November 29, 2011.
“It is pathetic to see the five fishermen under severe
mental stress. Emarson, one of them, had even been hospitalised for two weeks
for depression,” Mr. Arulanandam said. Emarson would not talk to others and
refuse to take food, he said.
Emarson broke down, when he was shown the photograph
of his new born daughter. His wife was pregnant when he was apprehended and he
is yet to see the child, Mr. Arulanandam said. He is unaware that his younger
brother, Zion (22) was killed in a train accident in Chennai in March last.
The fishermen expressed their dismay that the Indian
government could not secure their release through diplomatic channels, Mr
Arulanandam said. They looked dejected, when he explained that the High Court
had to decide their case, he added.
Mr. Arulanandam said M.A. Sumanthiran, a prominent Sri
Lankan human rights lawyer, had helped him to engage S. Anil Silva, former
government lawyer, and Thamusan, a Tamil lawyer, to fight the case.
“The fishermen are innocent and I am confident that
court would set them at liberty,” he told The Hindu. Mr Arunandam met
the District Collector, K. Nanthakumar, here on Wednesday and briefed him of
his Colombo visit. The Collector showed keen interest in helping the fishermen
and offered to arrange for financial assistance towards meeting the legal
expenses, he said.
The Neduntivu police had registered a case against the
five fishermen under Sections 54 A and B of the Opium and Dangerous Drugs
Ordinance Act, 1984, read with section 218 of the Code of Procedure. After
almost 12 months of incarceration, the charge sheet was filed on November 20,
2012.
Moved by the plights of the families of the five
fishermen, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had recently presented solatium of Rs. 2
lakh each to the five families.
The government was also providing a daily assistance
of Rs.250 each to their families. It had also sanctioned Rs.2 lakh towards
payment of legal fee.
