Assures them of Govts efforts to repatriate them to India
By Our Diplomatic Correspondent
New Delhi, Nov 05 India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Yash Sinha today visited the Welikada Prison (Colombo) and met with the five Indian fishermen, sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court recently on alleged charges of drug trafficking and assured them of early repatriation to India.
The High Commissioner assured them that the Govt of India will make all efforts to secure their early release and repatriation to India after supporting them in their appeal against their case.
The High Commissioner met the( Emerson, P. Augustus, R. Wilson, K. Prasath and J. Langlet), at the Superintendent’s office where he handed over some clothes and toiletries. He enquired about their welfare and assured them of unstinted support and cooperation of Government of India in ensuring that their appeal against the case received the utmost attention.
The fishermen appeared in good health and sought permission to write to their relatives in Tamil Nadu besides making telephone calls. The prison authorities agreed saying they would arrange for the said telephone calls in a couple of days. Meanwhile, they were free to write letters to their relatives.
The fishermen expressed their happiness at the High Commissioner personally coming to meet them and thanked him for this gesture, sources in external affairs ministry revealed.