Five fishermen set out for fishing in a country boat from Pamban near here and they were later apprehended by Sri Lankan Naval personnel, Fisheries Department Deputy Director K T Gopinath told PTI.
Local fishermen, however, claimed that six men went out for fishing in that boat and if Lankan authorities had arrested five, they wanted to know the status of the sixth man who reportedly accompanied them.
Yesterday, hours after five fishermen were arrested, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to take steps to secure their release.