Fleeing 23 Tamil refugees, stranded in mid-sea, arrested

Twenty-three Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from different camps of the State were arrested by police for allegedly trying to flee to Sri Lanka in the early hours of Thursday.

As they were fleeing, the boat carrying them had developed a technical snag in the mid sea yesterday. One Sahaya Dhasan of Thoothur village in Kanyakumari district and some fishermen in a mechanized boat had gone out for fishing when they spotted the stranded Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who shouted for help.

The refugees said they set out for sailing in the boat on the night of March 22. When the boat developed fault, two persons went in a fiber boat to get mechanic to repair, but they never came.

The fishermen alerted the police and the refugees were brought to the shore along with the boat and later detained at Nithravilai police station. The Superintendent of Police Rajendaran, marine police personnel and the ‘Q' branch police from the district were conducting an enquiry.

The names of the arrested persons were Arunagiri Nathan (32) of Bhavani Sagar, Jeya Nathan (30) of Tindivanam, Uma Chandran (23) of Sivakasi, Joesph Pradeep (29) of Bhavani Sagar, Yoga Dhas (25) of Sivakasi, Anistron (23) of Bhavani Sagar, Dhilosan (27) of Bhavani Sagar, Ramesh (25) of Tiruchi, Raja (29) of Madurai, Jeyachandran (29) of Madurai, Inba Rooban (24) of Tindivanam, Gracy (22) of Dharmapuri, Murugaiha (40) of Chennai, Ravi (40) of Thiruvarur, Jeganathan (33) of Karur, Sharmilin (25) of Sivaganga, Louis Lawrence (32) of Chennai, Kanakaraj (22) of Tirunelveli, Immanuvel Jeya Kumar (35) of Chennai, Sangeswaran (21) of Bhavani Sagar, Pradeeban (23) of Chennai, Nickson (28) of Chennai and Packiyaraj (27) of Vedan Colony camp at Chennai.

The officials came to know that a sum of Rs.5,000 was collected from these Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to drop them at Sri Lanka border. There were 24 persons on the boat, said to belong to one Johnson of Poothurai in KK district. One person was reported missing from the boat. The police have registered a case and were further investigating. Search is on for Johnson and others, police said.

- Asian Tribune -