By G Saravanan Published on November 18:
Pictures courtesy: P Anand Kumar
CHENNAI: A mid-sea incident that happened two months ago robbed five Kasimedu fishermen of their most precious possessions — their boat and the nets.
It all happened in August, when a Naval patrolling boat T-83 rammed and sunk a fibre boat (TN-02-FRB-152) in which five fishermen from Kasimedu — Mohan, Devadas, Arunachalam, Naresh and Rathinavel — were fishing east of Ennore sea. They pegged their loss at Rs 2 lakh.
Rathinavel, 55, who suffered a major fracture on his spinal cord during the incident, told Express that the Naval vessel rammed their boat without any provocation. Till August, he was the sole breadwinner, but now his married daughter, who lives nearby, looks after him and his wife. The injury has left Rathinavel confined to his bed for now.
“We sent a plea to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in September requesting him to grant compensation, but there has been no reply yet,” said K Bharathi, president of the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association.
While Navy sources said they had already conducted a detailed enquiry into the incident and submitted a report to the higher authorities almost a month ago, cops at the local police station where an FIR was filed against the Navy seem to be dragging their feet in the probe.
A case has been pending before a tribunal against the Navy seeking full compensation for the incident. Only after the police complete their enquiry and submit the report, the tribunal would be able to take the final call, the fishermen said.
It all happened in August, when a Naval patrolling boat T-83 rammed and sunk a fibre boat (TN-02-FRB-152) in which five fishermen from Kasimedu — Mohan, Devadas, Arunachalam, Naresh and Rathinavel — were fishing east of Ennore sea. They pegged their loss at Rs 2 lakh.
Rathinavel, 55, who suffered a major fracture on his spinal cord during the incident, told Express that the Naval vessel rammed their boat without any provocation. Till August, he was the sole breadwinner, but now his married daughter, who lives nearby, looks after him and his wife. The injury has left Rathinavel confined to his bed for now.
“We sent a plea to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in September requesting him to grant compensation, but there has been no reply yet,” said K Bharathi, president of the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association.
While Navy sources said they had already conducted a detailed enquiry into the incident and submitted a report to the higher authorities almost a month ago, cops at the local police station where an FIR was filed against the Navy seem to be dragging their feet in the probe.
A case has been pending before a tribunal against the Navy seeking full compensation for the incident. Only after the police complete their enquiry and submit the report, the tribunal would be able to take the final call, the fishermen said.
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