India takes up fisherman shootout with Lankan PM

Even as the Indian government pressed Sri Lanka for a thorough probe into the killing of an Indian fishermen, Sri Lanka said an initial probe had ruled out its navy's involvement in the incident. India had taken up the issue with Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Taranjith Singh Sandhu has taken up the killing with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and expressed New Delhi's "deep concern" at the killing of the fishermen.

Sri Lanka has told New Delhi that it was keen not to let any incident to stand in the way of good relations between the two countries and vowed a full probe into the incident in cooperation with Indian authorities.

The 22-year-old Indian fisherman was shot dead on Monday while he was fishing in a mechanised boat a short distance off Katchatheevu islet. Local fishermen alleged that he was killed by the Sri Lankan navy while another was injured.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to summon the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and convey the “strong feelings” of the Central and State governments over the incident.

The CM said it was a “cold blooded, inhuman, horrific and illegal barbaric killing of a young Indian fisherman from Tamil Nadu” and despatched Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar to meet the family members of the deceased and hand over a solatium of ₹5 lakh.