StatesKeralam
Kochi NIA court jails 15 Sri Lankans who left Tamil Nadu refugee camps to sail for Canada
The 15 pleaded guilty under the Foreigners Act and were given 15 days' simple imprisonment and a ₹5,000 fine each. They were caught trying to board a boat at Kollam's Vaaddy harbour in 2023.
Key points
- A special NIA court in Kochi sentenced 15 Sri Lankan nationals for an attempt to migrate illegally to Canada.
- Each got 15 days' simple imprisonment and a ₹5,000 fine after pleading guilty under the Foreigners Act.
- They had left refugee camps in Tamil Nadu and were caught at Vaaddy harbour in Kollam in 2023.
A special court for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases in Kochi has sentenced 15 Sri Lankan nationals who tried to migrate illegally to Canada by boat from Keralam.
Judge Hafees Mohammed gave each of them 15 days of simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹5,000. Anyone who does not pay the fine will serve another 15 days. The 15 had pleaded guilty to offences under various provisions of the Foreigners Act. They were represented by counsel, and the proceedings were translated for them into Malayalam.
In deciding the sentence, the court took into account the nature of the offences and the time the accused had already spent in custody.
From the camps to Kollam
The prosecution said all 15 had been living in rehabilitation and refugee camps for Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu, at Puzhal in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Dindigul, Madurai and Tirunelveli. They left the camps without permission and travelled beyond the areas they were allowed to stay in, as part of a plan to reach Canada illegally.
In 2023 police caught them as they tried to board a vessel at Vaaddy harbour in Kollam. The NIA’s Kochi unit later took over the investigation and filed the final report in the case.
The court directed that a copy of the judgment be sent to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer in Thiruvananthapuram for further action.