Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure the safe release of 48 Indian fishermen and 122 fishing boats from Sri Lankan custody, according to Times of India.

In the latest incident, nine fishermen in a mechanised fishing boat who set sail from Nagappatinam fishing base and four fishermen in a mechanised fishing boat who set sail from Rameswaram fishing base were apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy on Thursday. The boats and fishermen were taken to Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka.

"Such incidents of apprehension of our fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy should be taken up strongly at the highest diplomatic level to ensure the safety and security of our fishermen in the Palk Bay," Palaniswami said in a letter to Modi, a copy of which was released to the media here.

He recalled the repeated letters from his predecessor, J Jayalalithaa, had pointed to the "deliberate strategy of keeping the apprehended fishing boats of our fishermen in custody and thereby completely impairing the only source of livelihood of poor fishermen."

Reminding the Sri Lankan government's commitment to consider the release of boats, Palaniswami urged Modi to ensure the immediate release of the precariously berthed boats which continue to suffer damage with every passing day.