DHAKA: Indian Coast Guard will take over from Sri Lanka 52 Indian fishermen and hand over a similar number of Lankan fishermen released by India to authorities of that country on Friday.

ICG ship Vishwast will undertake ‘concurrent repatriation’ of the said number of fishermen, released by either countries that morning, a Coast Guard release here said on Thursday, reports The Times of India.

The 52 Lankan fishermen released by the Tamil Nadu government have been taken over from local authorities and handed over to Lankan officials at the Indo-Lankan International Maritime Boundary Line with ICG scheduled to take over 52 Indians from them, it said.

The Indian fishermen will be handed over to local authorities at Karaikkal, it added.

BDST: 2000 HRS, JAN 16, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor