K Palaniswamy seeks Narendra Modi's help to free 15 fishermen detained in Iran

Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswamy on Monday took up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the plight of 15 fishermen from the state detained by Iranian authorities and sought his intervention in securing their release. [caption id=“attachment_4293685” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswamy. PTI[/caption] The fishermen engaged in fishing from the Emirate of Dubai fishing base were arrested by the Iranian Coast Guard on 24 October last year after they “inadvertently” strayed into their waters, he told Modi in a letter. Natives of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts in Tamil Nadu, the fishermen “are reportedly detained in their fishing boats in KISH Island, Iran for the past two months,” he said. An Iranian court imposed fine on these fishermen and the same had to be paid by them with the financial support from their local sponsors from Dubai, UAE, he added. One of the fishermen was a diabetic and also suffering from hypertension while another " is reportedly having a heart problem and is seeking medical intervention." The prolonged incarceration of the fishermen who went abroad for earning their humble livelihood would severely affect their families and dependents, he said. “Hence, I request your personal intervention by instructing the Ambassadors of India in Tehran and United Arab Emirates to provide necessary medical attention and to take effective legal steps to secure the immediate release of these poor innocent fishermen from Tamil Nadu, Palaniswamy urged Modi.