Colombo:
Sri Lankan Navy today denied the arrest of nine Indian fishermen hailing from Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu, as reported in the Indian media.
"We have not arrested any Indian fishermen anywhere", Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya, the naval spokesman said.
Indian media had reported that nine fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy when they were fishing mid-sea.
The incident comes two days after Sri Lanka freed 19 Indian fishermen arrested last month, following a court order.
Early this month, some 56 fishermen had been arrested on two separate occasions by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of poaching in Sri Lanka's international maritime limits.
A Sri Lankan court has extended the remand of the 26 fishermen from Karaikal upto April 19 while the case relating to the arrest of 30 fishermen from Rameswaram on April 6 has been been posted for hearing on April 18.
Also, on April 12, six fishermen, who ventured into the sea from Karaikal were injured when they were allegedly attacked by Sri Lankan naval men off Kodiakarai coast.