TN: One fisherman killed, one missing following clashes between two groups

Chennai : In a mid-sea fight between two groups of fishermen in Tamil Nadu, one fisherman has been killed and another is missing while a third one has been admitted to hospital with serious injuries. The incident occurred near the eastern side of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu fishing harbour.

The deceased has been identified as S. Sivanesa Selvam while the missing has been identified as S. Kalathinathan. The injured has been identified as S. Atmanathan and is admitted at Nagapattinam Medical College hospital.

All three are brothers and hail from Akkaripettai coastal hamlet of Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. Vedaranyam Police said that they have arrested seven persons related to the case.

They were identified as R. Balakrishnan, M. Velayudham, S. Srithar, S. Kaliyappan, S. Mariyappan, P. Kannan and R. Dhandapani. The police have also launched a search to arrest R. Balakumar, who is absconding. Reportedly, the three brothers had ventured out into the sea to fish, in a fibreglass boat, on Sunday evening.

While they were fishing about two nautical miles east of the Nagapattinam fishing harbour, a group of fishermen from Keechankuppam, in a mechanised boat, reportedly damaged their fishing nets.

An argument broke out between the two groups and the Keechankuppam fishermen banged their mechanised boat against the fiberglass boat. The injured fisherman Athmanathan told hospital authorities that the mechanised boat fishers reportedly attacked the trio using fishing equipment.

Sivanesa Selvam and Kalathinathan suffered severe blows, while Athmanathan, who suffered injuries on his left hand and face, managed to escape, and was rescued by a group of fishermen who were fishing in the vicinity and admitted him to Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital for treatment.

The body of Sivanesa Selvam, found with cut injuries mid-sea, was recovered and sent to the Nagapattinam Government Medical College for an autopsy. The police and fishermen have launched a search to locate Kalathinathan.

A heavy police contingent has also been deployed in Akkaraipettai and Keechankuppam coastal villages to prevent further untoward incidents.