Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu:
Sixty-nine fishermen from Pudukottai and Ramnathapuram districts, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy in December last year, returned to Karaikal today after their release.
All of them were arrested in December 2013 while fishing off Kodiakarai coast and later lodged in a prison in Sri Lanka.
A court in the island nation ordered their release on January 18.
The Sri Lankan Navy handed the fishermen over to Indian authorities near the International Maritime Boundary Line late last night, officials said.
Escorted by the Indian Coast Guard, they returned to Karaikal port this morning, where they were received by Nagapattinam District Collector T Munusamy, Karaikal Coast Guard Commander Uddhal Singh and fisheries department officials.