Lanka govt orders release of 77 TN fishermen

The Sri Lankan government has ordered release of 77 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested on the charge of fishing in the island nation's territorial waters.
Tamil Nadu government said in a release here today that 43 of the fishermen had been released by Lankan courts yesterday and the remaining would be set free in a couple of days.
It said the fishermen were released due to the "untiring" efforts of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
77 fishermen from Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Ramanthapuram districts were arrested by the Lankan Navy while exercising their rights in traditional fishing waters between May 31 to July 15 and lodged in prisons of the country, the release said.

Jayalalithaa had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a series of letters, urging him to take steps to secure the release of fishermen, it said, adding the Sirisena Government has recommended release of 77 fishermen.
"In the first phase, 43 of them were released yesterday. The remaining will be released over the next few days."
The release however did not mention when the fishermen were expected to return home.