Chennai,  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to immediately intervene and secure release of the 12 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday.

Of the 12 fishermen arrested, seven were from Tamil Nadu, while the remaining five hailed from Puducherry.

Stalin, in his letter, mentioned that the innocent Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy along with their mechanised boat. The fishermen had resumed fishing after the 60-day ban on June 15 and their arrest has led to a sense of insecurity and fear in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, he said.

He also requested the minister to take up the matter with the Sri Lankan government through proper diplomatic channels.