Sri Lanka to release five fishermen on death row after Modi's call to Rajapaksa

Prime Minister Modi’s intervention in the case of the five fishermen sentenced to death row in Sri Lanka for narcotics smuggling reached a new high when the Sri Lankan government agreed to send them back home to an Indian jail.

The Sri Lankan government agreed to transfer all the five convicts to Indian jail after Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened in the matter and spoke to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy tweeted on Monday.

Namo and Rajapaksa spoke on the phone yesterday&agreed to process papers & transfer 5 fishermen convicted to Indian jail. I am vindicated!

— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) November 10, 2014

“Namo and Rajapaksa spoke on the phone yesterday&agreed to process papers & transfer 5 fishermen convicted to Indian jail. I am vindicated!,” the tweet read.

The Indian Express  reported that the five Indian fishermen — Emerson, P Augustus, R Wilson, K Prasath and J Langlet — all hailing from Tamil Nadu, were apprehended in 2011 and were sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court on October 30 for alleged drug trafficking.

The case dates first got international attention in 2011 when the five fishermen from Rameswaram were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on drug smuggling charges.

According to Zee News however, India in 2011, has denied that the five are guilty and added that an appeal will be filed in the top court in the island nation.

This case comes at a time when relations between India and Sri Lanka are strained over Katchatheevu, an island India had gifted to Sri Lanka in the early 70s.

(With agency inputs)