The fishermen who were released by Sri Lanka, at the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

Five fishermen spared the death sentence in Sri Lanka and freed on Wednesday will take a longer route home than they may have thought. Their families in Tamil Nadu returned disappointed this morning from an airport after learning that the men would be flown to Delhi first.The five - who haven't seen their families for three years - are being brought from Colombo to the capital for a debriefing by the Intelligence Bureau, say sources.Emerson, P Augustus, R Wilson, K Prasath and J Langlet are expected to arrive in Delhi this afternoon and are likely to be received by the External Affairs Ministry."We came at 8 am. But now we are being told they will meet the PM first in Delhi," Prasath's wife Skelta told NDTV at the airport in Tiruchirapalli."He is coming after three years, but I haven't met him, his child also can't meet him. It is very disappointing. I want to thank the state and central government, the media and everyone from the village who stood united. But I am leaving with sorrow because I could meet him," she said.The delayed reunion of the men with their families has drawn sharp criticism against the central government."The BJP is trying to claim credit for the return of the fishermen and score over Tamil Nadu political parties," alleged MH Jawaharullah, an opposition legislator who represents Rameshwaram, where the fishermen live. He had also gone to the airport with the fishermen's families.The five men were sentenced to death last month by a court in Colombo after being held guilty of smuggling drugs into the country. They were arrested in 2011.Their sentence was commuted by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday and they were handed over to Indian officials in Colombo.

The Indian government had challenged the conviction in Sri Lanka's Supreme Court and over the weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to President Rajapaksa on the phone.Their sentencing triggered large protests in Tamil Nadu, which says its fishermen are unfairly targeted and arrested by the Lankan navy.