A Sri Lankan court has freed 26 Indian fishermen arrested by the Lankan navy for allegedly fishing in its waters, officials said on Wednesday.
However, the court ordered for the "nationalisation" of the four mechanised boats and other equipment siezed during the arrest of the fishermen, the officials said.
22 fishermen hailing from Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram and four from Puthukottai, arrested last month, were ordered to be released by the court.
The court also cautioned the fishermen against entering the country's waters (illegally) in the future and warned of two years' imprisonment, if caught.
Local fishermen associations opposed the detention of the boats and equipment, saying they were the sole means of livelihood for the persons concerned.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Clears Path For Decriminalising Homosexuality Sri Lanka Top Court Allows Proceedings Against Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa High Court Notice To Centre, Karnataka Over 'Detention' Of Sri Lankans Nurse Raped, Killed On Way Home, Body Found 9 Days Later In UP Rahul Gandhi's Seat At Red Fort Triggers Fresh Congress Attack On BJP "Don't Expect Anything From Me": Kolkata Hospital's New Principal Loses Cool Kolkata Rape: Top Medical Body Announces Withdrawal Of Services On Aug 17 Ukraine, Russia Both Claim Advances In Kursk Region Gaza Ceasefire Talks Underway In Qatar As Deaths Top 40,000 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.