Navy denies assault

28 July 2011 10:43 am

By Gandhya Senanayake

The Sri Lankan Navy today denied reports that it had assaulted over thirty Indian fishermen at high seas on Thursday morning.

Speaking to Daily Mirror online Navy Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya stated that the Sri Lanka Navy denies assaulting any Indian fishermen and would never do so.

He added that contrastingly the Sri Lankan navy had assisted an Indian fishermen whose boat had drifted after its engine stopped functioning and that the boat will be towed to the Delft Island to be repaired. Further he noted that the wellbeing of Indian fishermen will be taken care off till his boat is repaired and thereafter the boat will be towed back to the IMBL and handed over to the Indian Coast Guard.      

International Media reports stated that thirty Indian fishermen were assaulted at high seas while their catch and GPS equipment were taken away by highly armed Sri Lankan naval personnel who came in seven boats on Thursday. (Daily Mirror online)