In the early hours of March 18, three persons released four mechanised boats from the Juvvaladinne Fishing Harbour located in SPSR Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh. The released boats, owned by fishermen from Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry’s Karaikal, were seized a few months ago by fishermen of Krishnapuram and Chennayapalem villages of Nellore district.The fishermen from both States have been at loggerheads for almost four decades, with their boats being seized when crossing the State maritime borders. These disputes have been frequently emerging between the fisherfolk from both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, as many have been pointing out the lack of “proper maritime patrolling” by the law enforcement agencies.‘Hatched a plan’After the fishermen from Juvvaladinne seized the boats a few months ago, they anchored them at a fishing harbour in the village. The onus of looking after the boats was on three persons – Konduru Thotayya from Pattapupalem village, Bali Reddy from Kothakadapalem village and Setti from Bangarupalem. The locals alleged that a local leader, along with the guards, hatched a plan to release the boats from the fishing harbour, for which the former offered ₹10 lakh to each of the guards.A boat owner, from Karaikal, had stayed at a hotel in Kavali, approximately 40 km away from the fishing harbour, for the last three months. The locals alleged that the politician colluded with the boat owner from Karaikal and lured the guards, resulting in the release of the boats.Three days after the boats were released, the locals caught the three guards and tied them to temple pillars in Iskapalli village. Since then, the community heads have been holding several meetings to decide on the quantum of punishment for the guards.On Wednesday, more than 3,000 fishermen from 164 villages of four coastal districts gathered at Peda Pattapu Palem village in Prakasam district. After several meetings, the village heads levied a penalty of ₹2.25 crore on the three guards and directed them to pay by December 12, of which the accused had paid ₹86 lakh.The incident has triggered the government to reinitiate boat patrolling in the coastal areas of the State, putting an end to the four-decade-old issue of illegal intrusion of motorised boats of fishermen from neighbouring States into the territorial waters of A.P.It has taken a political turn and the repercussions were witnessed in 164 villages across the districts of Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam and Bapatla.TDP, YSRCP at oddsMeanwhile, IT & Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh visited the village to lay a foundation stone for Sagar Defence Engineering’s autonomous maritime shipyard and systems centre. Pointing out that the foundation stone laying event was coinciding with the release of the boats from Juvvaladinne, the Opposition party, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), leaders alleged that the TDP was involved in the issue.YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed that he has the call data evidence with the conversation between TDP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Beeda Mastan Rao, his follower Padanuru Polishetty, and boat owner Ashok hatching a conspiracy to take away the boats from Juvvaladinne to Puducherry.Trashing the allegation, the MP’s cousin brother Beeda Ravichandra, an MLC and TDP Nellore district president, said, “Our phone calls were only festival greetings. On February 28, the fishermen from Kavali requested that the MP and I resolve their problems. With that call data, the ex-CM made baseless allegations that the IT Minister and the Beeda brothers had conspired to steal the boats.”Mastan Rao is the Chairman and Managing Director of BMR Group of Industries, a shrimp farming and exports company operating 12 hatcheries across A.P., Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. YSRCP Nellore district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy also alleged that Mastan Rao joined hands with the guards and released the boats to safeguard his businesses in the neighbouring State.“If Mastan Rao is not involved in the case, why did Thotayya mention only his name? The onus is on him [Mastan Rao] to prove the truth in the words of Thotayya,” Kakani said, demanding the coalition leaders to bring back the “stolen” boats if they really care about the fishermen.Asserting that the accusations levelled against him are fabricated and baseless, Mastan Rao said, “Fishermen are like my family members. I was born in a fishing area. My association with them for 40 years has been inseparable. I have clearly requested the Central and the State governments to immediately investigate the theft of the boats.”“I was in Parliament meetings at the time of the incident. The YSRCP leaders have started a new drama by showcasing phone call data and bank transactions. I am ready to give all details to the high-level inquiry committee to prove my honesty. I will resign from the Rajya Sabha post if it is proven that I am involved in this issue,” he added.