SL family arrested in Tamil Nadu
Five Sri Lankan refugees -- including a man, his wife and three daughters - returned to India on Friday after they found it difficult to make a living in their homeland.
Sathyaseelan (48) of Pesalai in the Mannar district of Sri Lanka and his family arrived in Arichalmunnai near Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu. They were to Mugundarayar Chathiram when fishermen intercepted them and handed them over to police.
The four women were identified as Sathayaseelan's wife Parameswari (45), his daughters Mary (19), Viduthalai (16) and Selvi (13).
They told police that they had been refugees in India earlier and had stayed in the Tiruvannamalai camp from 2005 to 2010. They obtained a passport and returned to Sri Lanka in 2010 as Sathyaseelan's mother had passed away.
Sathyaseelan told police that he had found life very tough in Sri Lanka during his stay in the last five years. Their land had been taken over by the army.
As their elder son was staying in the Tiruvannamalai refugee camp, they decided to come back and stay there. They paid a boatman Rs 50,000 for their journey. They started from Sri Lanka at 4.30pm on Thursday and arrived at Arichalmunnai at 4am on Friday.
Sathayaseelan, his wife and Mary were taken to the Rameswaram police station. The other two children were taken to the Mandapam camp.
Police sources said they might be arrested under the Passport Act and remanded in judicial custody. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
