A fisherman from Rameswaram was hit by a bullet when Sri Lankan Navy personnel allegedly opened fire on Indian boats at Katchathivu on Wednesday night. Eight Indian fishermen have reportedly been taken prisoners. Also, two Indian trawlers were found burning off Sri Lanka’s North-Western coast today, but the fate of the occupants was not clear. Sri Lankan police said the two burning craft were reported by fishermen off the coast of Pesalai in Mannar. ‘‘We found the burning wreckage, but there were no signs of the occupants or what had happened to them,’’ a Sri Lankan police officer said. The authorities suspect that local residents may have attacked the Indian vessels for poaching in the rich fishing grounds. Sources in Rameswaram, meanwhile, said that 424 boats had set sail from there on Wednesday morning. The fishermen had cast their nets near Katchathivu when the Sri Lankan Navy allegedly launched an assault. — (ENS & PTI)
