Chennai, Feb. 19 -- 11 Tamil Nadu fishermen, who were released from a prison in Sri Lanka, returned to Chennai by flight on Thursday.

The fishermen landed at Chennai airport from Colombo on an IndiGo Airlines passenger flight. Officials from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department received them and arranged vehicles to send them to their native districts of Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai.

Of the 11 fishermen, four belonged to Ramanathapuram district, while seven are from Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai. On July 23, 2025, they had ventured into the sea in a mechanised boat for fishing.

During the early hours, a Sri Lankan naval patrol vessel intercepted their boat. The Sri Lankan authorities alleged that the fishermen had c...