A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday released 12 Indian fishermen who were detained for allegedly fishing in their territorial waters, Consulate General of India in Jaffna informed on Twitter.

The fishermen were detained by Sri Lankan Navy on December 19, 2021.

According to The Hindu, the fishermen are from Tamil Nadu. Frequently Tamil fishermen have found themselves get into trouble with Lankan border forces for entering their territorial waters called Palk Strait.

“12 Indian fishermen detained in Mannar on 19th December, 2021, have been released by Mannar court today. @CGJaffna provided them with the legal assistance by representing their cases in the court & facilitated their early release,” India’s Consulate in Jaffna said on Twitter.

A total of 68 Indian fishermen were arrested and 10 mechanised boats were seized by Lankan forces last month for illegally fishing in their waters. India had expressed concern over the detention.

Following the arrest, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to the Centre, seeking the early release of the fishermen, while pointing to an “alarming frequency” of Sri Lanka arresting Indian fishermen.

Sri Lankan arrested 231 Indian fishermen in 2021, the highest since 2017.