Tamil Nadu fishermen slapped, chased away by Sri Lankan Navy

Ramanathapuram: In yet another instance of mid-sea confrontation reported on Sunday, the Sri Lankan Navy allegedly chased away a group of fishermen and took away a mobile phone from one of them.

The Indian fishing boats, which set out on Saturday, were surrounded by the Lankan Navy while they were netting mid-sea.

The Navy personnel allegedly chased away some of the boats and snatched a cellphone belonging to Adimai, a local resident.

The Lankan Navy personnel also slapped some of the fishermen, accusing them of trespassing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), it has been alleged.

As a result, the fishermen were forced to return to shore with a poor catch.

The Fisheries Department was yet to receive a formal complaint about the incident.