BJP welcomes move to challenge death sentence awarded to Tamil Nadu fishermen

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday welcomed New Delhi's decision to legally challenge the death sentence awarded to five fishermen from Tamil Nadu by a Sri Lankan court for alleged drug trafficking.

"In keeping with the struggle of the five fishermen who have been awarded death sentence in Sri Lanka, the spokesperson of MEA has maintained that the Indian Government would continue with legal and consular assistance to these five Indian fishermen. This is a welcome step," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

Earlier on Friday, MEA official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that India has decided to legally challenge the death sentence passed on five fishermen from Tamil Nadu by a court in Sri Lanka.

"India's High Commission in Colombo will appeal to higher court through a lawyer against the judgement by the lower court against these five Indian fishermen," he said.

The Colombo High Court had on Thursday sentenced five Indians and three Sri Lankans to death on charges of drug smuggling. The five Indians are among a group of eight people sentenced to death by the high court in Colombo. They had been arrested on a boat in the seas off northern Jaffna's Delft islet.

The Indian fishermen claim that they have been falsely implicated in the case.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has strongly condemned the Sri Lankan court's decision.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he strongly condemned the conviction. Panneerselvam said the Tamil Nadu Government has consistently insisted that these fishermen were innocent and that the case has been foisted on them. The Chief Minister added that the evidence against these fishermen in the court is a fabrication.