Quoting one of the victim fisherman Jenold, police said that the men were fishing in Lankan waters when the naval personnel asked them to leave.
The naval personnel jumped into their boats, allegedly attacked them and snatched their mobile phones even as the fishermen were getting ready to leave, police said.
More than 500 boats from Rameswaram were in the sea for fishing when the incident took place. The other fishermen left the scene immediately, police said.