Sensitise Fishermen against crossing into Sri Lankan waters: that was the Supreme Court’s request to the Centre as the long-pending Katchatheevu petitions came up again, with the matter now set for February 2027.
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New Delhi: Hearing writ petitions that challenge the ceding of Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Union government to sensitise Tamil Nadu fishermen not to cross into Sri Lankan waters, and posted the matter for February 2027 [A.K. Selvaraj v. Union of India, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary].
Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva heard the petitions, registered as W.P.(C) No. 561 of 2008.
Where the matter stands
The Bench asked the government to sensitise Tamil fishermen against crossing the maritime boundary and listed the petitions for February 2027. No final relief was granted on the challenge to the agreements, which remains pending.
The Union’s position
Appearing for the Union, Attorney General R. Venkataramani said India has good diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka and that the Centre does not wish to reopen the treaties. It is engaged diplomatically, he said, but cannot force compliance. He also submitted that fishermen in Tamil Nadu have depleted the fish stock on the Indian side and therefore go into Sri Lankan waters, and that sensitising them is a matter for the State government as well.
The petitioners’ side
For the petitioners, Senior Advocate P. Wilson argued that Schedule I of the Constitution had to be amended to give effect to the agreement, which was never done. He pointed to the repeated arrests of and attacks on Indian fishermen.
In an oral remark, Justice Kumar said Sri Lanka’s environmental practices may explain why fish migrate to its waters.
What the petitions challenge
The petitioners challenge the ceding of Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka under the 1974 Indo-Sri Lankan maritime agreement, and the 1976 agreement that restricted the fishing rights of Indian fishermen. They say Tamil Nadu fishermen are repeatedly arrested by Sri Lankan forces while fishing in the disputed waters.
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Why the order matters
The hearing keeps alive a challenge pending since 2008 over the treaty position on Katchatheevu and the livelihood of fishermen who work the Palk Strait. The Court has not expressed a view on the validity of the 1974 and 1976 agreements, and the contentions of the Union and the petitioners remain to be decided.
Case Title: A.K. Selvaraj v. Union of India, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary [W.P.(C) No. 561 of 2008]
Bench: Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Supreme Court of India
Date of Hearing: October 6, 2026
Appearances: For the Union: Attorney General R. Venkataramani. For the petitioners: Senior Advocate P. Wilson.