Ramanathapuram: Tension continued to prevail in Rameswaram town in Tamil Nadu for the third day today (March 6) over the arrest of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities after a mid-sea clash on Monday (March 3) as a court in the island nation ordered detention of 24 skippers while releasing 93 fishermen.

The court had on (March 5) ordered 24 skippers to be placed under judicial custody and 30 fishing vessels and nets be seized. The skippers had been charged with poaching into Sri Lanka's territorial waters, officials said.

The fishermen were taken into custody in two batches after a pitched battle with Sri Lankan fishermen at mid-sea off Kachathivu. Rifles, bombs and country weapons were freely used against the unarmed Indian fishermen.

The released fishermen were expected to reach the international maritime border in Palk Straits on March 6 and brought back by Naval and coastguard men.

Officials said 17 fishermen, injured in the clash, had been admitted to hospitals in Mannar and Anuradhapuram where the condition of one of them was stated to be serious.

Meanwhile, Rameswaram fishermen gave up their earlier threat to launch rail and road-roko agitations from March 7 if the skippers and boats were not released by then.

District Collector Vijayakumar, who held talks with the fishermen at Rameswaram this morning, said they had agreed to drop the agitation as talks for securing the release of the skippers and boats were still on.

Police said the situation in Rameswaram was under control with police deployment in full strength in vulnerable areas.

PTI