Bahrain Fishermen arrested for straying Qatar's sea waters

Doha

Seven Bahrain-based Indian fisherman and their two fishing boats were taken into custody by the Qatari Coast Guard, after they strayed into Qatar's terrotorial waters.

Indian community sources told The Peninsula the fishermen ventured into the deep sea from Bahrain on July 3 and were arrested on July 5.

They have been identified as Raviston Soosai (38), Praveen Anthony (34), Sujin Sesaiya (22), Valan Abel (31), Anish Kuttan (28), Vinith Baskar (25) and Suresh Varghese (34) all from the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Valan’s brother Ramesh told this newspaper over telephone from Bahrain: “The boats left for fishing on July 3. The fishermen contacted other boats in the morning of July 4 through wireless phones and said they were in the custody of Qatari forces.

“The khafeel (sponsor) visited the fishermen in Qatari jail. We understand that a court hearing will be on August 3, and we will have to pay BHD3,000 (about QR28,973) to release them and their boats,” he added.

Tamil Nadu Fishermen Development Trust said the Indian embassy in Doha and Bahrain have been informed about the arrest, with a request for consular support for fishermen.

Officials from the Indian embassy in Qatar have reportedly contacted a friend of one of the fishermen in Bahrain and collected further details.
Justin Antony, Founder President of the trust, said the next hearing is expected to take place in the first week of August.

It is learnt that of the seven fishermen, one has been working in Bahrain for 15 years and another for less than two months.