Fishermen from the Wennappuwa area have alleged that a group of Indian Navy officers attacked 12 Sri Lankan fishermen who were travelling on two fishing boats, leaving four of them seriously injured.
According to relatives of the fishermen, the incident occurred on December 3, when the fishing vessel Dinithi Duwa and another boat carrying 12 fishermen were returning to Sri Lanka after fishing in international waters. They claim that at around 6.00 a.m. local time, an Indian Navy ship approached the boats and officers on board assaulted the fishermen.
The relatives further alleged that the attack took place after the fishermen were questioned by Indian Navy personnel about whether they were carrying drugs. During the incident, four fishermen sustained serious injuries and bruises.
The Sri Lanka Navy was subsequently informed of the situation, following which arrangements were made to bring the injured fishermen back to the island. The four injured fishermen were brought ashore this morning with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Navy and were admitted to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, relatives of the injured fishermen have lodged a complaint with the hospital police regarding the alleged assault.
Commenting on the incident, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Marine Resources Ratna Gamage stated that he has instructed the Sri Lanka Navy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct further investigations into the matter.
