Indian fisherman not attacked

23 January 2011 08:15 am Views - 4273

By Gandhya Senanayake
 
The Sri Lanka Navy categorically denies allegations that we have attacked and killed an Indian fisherman last Saturday and also say that these allegations are baseless and without proof, Navy spokesman Captain Athula Senarath told Daily Mirror online

He further added these allegations were made time to time and that they suspected that few elements wanted to create problems and harm the goodwill between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Navy and its officials.

We have given strict instructions to our naval patrols and we ensure that these instructions are carried out. We have investigated these allegations several times and proved their baseless, Captain Senarath said.

The Hindu reported on Sunday “that a fisherman from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu was killed allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday night. Taking a serious view of the “killing of two Tamil fishermen in 10 days” by the Sri Lankan Navy, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday had assured Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi that the Centre would take up the issue with the Sri Lankan authorities.”

Captain Senarath also noted that the Navy Commander had stated that India can provide proof, if there is any that the Sri Lankan Navy killed the Indian fishermen during the alleged shooting incidents.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had also instructed the Navy last several weeks to carry out a detailed investigation into an alleged incident that the Lankan Navy had fired on Indian fishermen. (Daily Mirror online)