Two Sri Lankan courts extended the captivity of 46 Tamil fishermen till 12th February, thus ensuring that the fishermen would stay behind bars at least for the next fortnight.

Arrested on false charges of trespassing into Lankan waters at various times during the past few weeks, the fishermen had been toiling hard in Lankan prisons. The possibility of these fishermen being levied a heavy penalty of Rs;60 lakhs also looms large over them as Lanka recently enacted a new law to punish ‘offenders’ who trespass into its waters.

As the judicial custody of these fishermen ended yesterday, they were all produced at Courts at Oorkaatruthurai and Paruthithurai today morning.

The Courts, which heard the Govt. Counsels’ arguments, extended the custody of the 46 Tamil fishermen by a fortnight i.e. till 12th February. The extension of captivity has further frustrated and saddened the families of the fishermen back home in coastal Tamil Nadu.