Two fishermen injured in Coast Guard firing off Kerala

Mangalore Today News Network

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 13, 2015, DHNS: Two fishermen were injured after Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel fired at the boat they were travelling in off Vizhinjam coast near here on Monday.

The injured have been identified as Subin (20) and Clinton (21), natives of Kulachal in Tamil Nadu.

The incident happened when the fishermen – heading from Kanyakumari to the Kollam coast in a boat named ‘Rishika’ – ignored signals from an ICG interceptor to halt for security checks, Coast Guard sources said.

Subin sustained a bullet injury on his right leg while Clinton is reported to have sustained a graze injury on his right arm. The injured were admitted in the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.

They were brought to the hospital by a team of Coast Guard officials. Later, a medical team of the ICG assessed the condition of the injured at the hospital. Their condition has been reported as “not serious”.

The boat was returning from Kanyakumari to Neendakara on the Kollam coast after a 10-day fishing stint. Police detained seven others who were in the boat. Coast Guard sources said the incident happened at about 4 pm off coast in the Beemapalli area, about 12 km from Vizhinjam.

“The fishermen refused to stop the speeding boat despite repeated calls and warning fire from the interceptor craft that was on routine patrol.

The shots were fired at the boat and two fishermen sustained minor injuries from ricochets,” a Coast Guard official at the Vizhinjam station.