Coast Guard officials have handed over 51 Tamil fishermen released from Lankan jails to fisheries officials at Karaikkal on Thursday evening.
Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Jayapal, Nagapattinam Collector Munusamy and fisheries officials welcomed the fishermen back.
Twenty one fishermen are from Karaikal, 20 from Pudukottai and 10 from Nagapattinam. They were brought back on the Coast Guard ship Vishwasth.
Family members said they were happy to see fishermen returning to their villages in Jagadapattinam, Kottaipattinam and Nagapattinam.
Indian Coast Guard officials handed over 52 Sri Lankan fishermen released from Tamil Nadu jail to the Lankan Coast Guard at the International Maritime Boundary Line.
Fishermen want a lasting solution to the problem so that they can venture out for fishing without the fear of being apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy again.
