A 42-year-old Sri Lankan national who arrived here by a boat on Monday claiming that he fled his country fearing detention by military there, was arrested for travelling without valid travel documents, police said. The man identified as Arulselvan of Yazhpanam in Sri Lanka reached Arichalmunai near Rameswaram by a boat yesterday morning.

He told the police that he left his country fearing torture at the hands of military there and that he had come in search of his wife who is lodged in a refugee camp in Erode district, about 360 kms from Rameswaram, PTI said.

Arulselvan was picked up by Dhanushkodi police and handed over to 'Q' branch police, who arrested him for entering the country without proper travel documents. They told PTI that the man was being questioned.