The five Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan security forces over alleged drug trafficking charges and sentenced to death, were freed on Wednesday by President Rajapaksa who issued a presidential pardon.

The release comes after widespread protests in Tamil Nadu and strong pressure from the Modi led central government on Sri Lankan authorities.

An appeal filed by the Indian authorities was withdrawn, after the Sri Lankan government said a presidential pardon could not proceed without its withdrawal.

On Tuesday, a delegation from Tamil Nadu met with India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, calling for the detained fishermen's "immediate release", reported Jagran Post.

The delegation included local fishermen and the Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Pon Radhakrishnanan, as well as senior BJP leaders, the paper reported .

The release has been hailed as a major diplomatic victory in India. 

"We feel the fishermen are not guilty. We will follow the legal process and will do our best to get them back to India," the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin said.

The five fishermen - R. Wilson, K. Prasath, Emerson, P. Augustus and J. Langlet - were arrested in November 2011.

"The reports of the Tamil fishermen being released are extremely heart-warming. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa some time ago. The government authorities and the Ministry of External Affairs have also offered to give all kinds of possible help to the fishermen," the BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao told ANI.

"The credit for their release should go to the Central government. We have excellent relations with all our neighbours and I think this will further cement the ties between India and Sri Lanka and will lead to the easing of a lot issues that have affected the relations between the two countries," he added.