Chennai
In a confrontation at sea involving two factions of fishermen in Tamil Nadu, one fisherman has been fatally injured, another is currently unaccounted for, and a third has sustained severe injuries requiring hospitalization. The incident unfolded near the eastern periphery of Nagapattinam at the Tamil Nadu fishing harbor.
The deceased has been identified as S. Sivanesa Selvam, while the missing individual is S. Kalathinathan. The injured party, identified as S. Atmanathan, is undergoing treatment at Nagapattinam Medical College hospital. All three individuals are siblings hailing from the Akkaripettai coastal hamlet in Nagapattinam district.
The Vedaranyam Police have apprehended seven individuals in connection with the incident.
Allegedly, the altercation transpired as the three brothers embarked on a fishing expedition in a fiberglass boat on Sunday evening. While fishing approximately two nautical miles east of the Nagapattinam fishing harbor, their nets were reportedly damaged by a group of fishermen from Keechankuppam aboard a mechanized vessel.
A dispute ensued, culminating in the Keechankuppam fishermen ramming their mechanized boat into the fiberglass vessel. According to the injured fisherman, Athmanathan, the aggressors purportedly wielded fishing equipment against them. Sivanesa Selvam and Kalathinathan sustained severe injuries, while Athmanathan, though wounded on his left hand and face, managed to escape, subsequently receiving aid from nearby fishermen who then admitted him to Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital.
Sivanesa Selvam’s body, bearing lacerations, was discovered at sea and transported to Nagapattinam Government Medical College for a post-mortem examination. Law enforcement officials and local fishermen are currently conducting a search operation to locate Kalathinathan, while heightened police presence in Akkaraipettai and Keechankuppam coastal villages aims to forestall any further disturbances.
