Clarifying the latest Supreme Court order in the matter in which the apex court allowed NIA to probe the case against Italian marines, official sources said the order had been read out of context leading to misleading reports.
Confusion prevails over the laws under which the Italian marine duo, accused of killing two Kerala fishermen, are to be prosecuted amid indications that the high-profile case may be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the National Investigation Agency.
Two Italian marines, accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast, may escape death penalty with the home ministry on Tuesday agreeing not to press for the capital punishment against them.
The European Union on Friday expressed the hope that a solution will be found to the issue of Italian marines, whose prosecution in the case of killing of two Kerala fishermen has triggered diplomatic tensions with India.
The National Investigation Agency will file a chargesheet against two Italian marines, accused of killing two Kerala fishermen, after getting sanction to prosecute them under a law which provides only death penalty.
In a fresh development in the Italian marines case, the Law Ministry on Saturday concurred with the External Affairs Ministry on non-applicability of a controversial anti-piracy law which is being strongly contested by the Italian government.
In a U-turn in the Kerala fishermen killing case, the Union home ministry on Friday asked the National Investigation Agency to dilute the charges against the two accused Italian marines from murder to violence, thus sparing them from the possibility of getting death penalty.
Italy on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to India for consultations and asserted that it will deal with the situation of "ambiguous and unreliable" behaviour by Indian authorities.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to make its stand clear on disputes arising out of the issue of invoking anti-piracy law against two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012.
Italy has regretted that the case of two of its marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen should have been resolved in the first three days of the incident, before the issue became enmeshed in India's "deadly judicial and political-electoral gears".
Italy has petitioned the United Nations over the trial of its two marines in India under a strict anti-piracy law for the killing of two Indian fishermen, and said it would exercise "all options" to bring back the naval personnel.
Stepping up pressure, Italy on Tuesday recalled its Ambassador in New Delhi over the issue of two Italian marines facing trial in India and lashed out at Indian authorities for their "ambiguous and unreliable" behaviour.
Italy will take up at the "international level" the trial of two marines in India for the killing of two Indian fishermen, Premier Enrico Letta has said.
"We grant the extension till July 15," said a three-judge bench of justices.
India on said it has asked Italy to provide more security to its embassy in Rome after the mission reported receiving hate mails and a live bullet in retaliation to Italian marines issue.
The National Investigating Agency on Thursday told a special court New Delhi that it was "ready" with a charge sheet against two Italian marines, accused of killing to Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012, and would file it after the Supreme Court decides on the issue raised by the Italian government.
In a blow to Italy's attempt to internationalise the case of two Italian marines being tried in India for killing two fishermen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked Rome to resolve the issue bilaterally.
Two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012 will not be prosecuted under the stringent anti-piracy SUA law that attracts death penalty as maximum punishment, the Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to resolve within a week all disputes arising out of the issue of invoking anti-piracy law against two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012.
The Ministry of Home Affairs feels that awarding death penalty to the duo will sour ties with Italy, reports Vicky Nanjappa.
The Supreme Court on Friday allowed one of the two Italian marines, facing murder charges in India, to travel to his country for medical treatment for four months after the Centre said that "in principle" it has no objection to the plea.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Sunday said there was no question of any compromise with regard to the case relating to the two Italian marines who had allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in February 2012.
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