Three months after they allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast, the police on Friday filed a chargesheet against two Italian marines in a court Kollam charging them with murder under IPC and also invoking the International Maritime Law.
Setting the stage for the settlement, the Kerala High court had earlier in the day permitted the family members of Valentine Jalastine and Ajesh Binki to withdraw their contentions made against Italy's plea for quashing the FIR against the marines.
The Kerala high court on Tuesday stayed till July 30 further proceedings before a local court in Kollam against two Italian marines in connection with the shooting to death of two Indian fishermen from cargo ship Enrica Lexie.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday disapproved of Kerala high court registrar general's modifying its direction to execute a Rs 3 crore bond as surety for securing the presence of 6 crew members of Italian vessel 'Enrica Lexie' whose marines allegedly killed 2 Indian fishermen.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Kerala government to consider within one week the plea for transferring to a guest house the two Italian marines, arrested in connection with the killing of Indian fishermen, on board the Enrica Lexie.
Two Catholic priests from Italy visited the home of one of the two fishermen gunned down by marines of Italian ship Enrica Lexie, fuelling speculation that their mission was to explore possibilities of settling the case through out-of-court mediation.
The marines, Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, had in their plea asked the Court to allow joint forensic examination of the weapons used in the shooting incident by Indian and Italian experts.
Kerala high court on Tuesday asked the owner of Italian Merchant Vessel Enrica Lexie and the families of the two fishermen allegedly killed by the marines whether they were willing for an out of court settlement for determining the compensation.
The National Investigation Agency probe into the killing of two Kerala fishermen is likely to be delayed as several key documents are being translated from Malayalam and Italian to English and the agency needs to question all foreign witnesses present on the Italian ship who left India long ago.
Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi on Saturday called his Indian counterpart S M Krishna over the killing of two Indian fishermen by the guards of an Italian oil tanker off Kollam coast in Kerala. Krishna told Terzi that the captain the Italian oil tanker must cooperate with Indian law enforcers. Krishna said the law should be allowed to take its own course in connection with the incident.
Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie, from which gunshots were fired killing two Indian fishermen off Alappuzha, has been brought to Kochi early on Friday and police and coast guard personnel are questioning the crew.
A Ganesh Nadar visits the families of the two fishermen killed at sea by two Italian marines, who mistook them for pirates.
Commercial ships with armed men on board, which navigate along India's territorial waters, pose a threat to the country's security, a senior Coast Guard official said on Thursday.
In a setback to efforts by Italy to secure release of its two marines charged with murder of two Indian fishermen, the Kerala high court on Tuesday turned down its plea for quashing an FIR against them, holding that they were liable to penal jurisdiction of Indian courts.
A court in Kollam on Saturday rejected the bail application of two Italian marines accused in the fishermen killing case, holding that granting it might affect progress of the case.
Holding that it was not within its purview, a local court today rejected the bail plea of two Italian marines on board the ship 'Enrica Lexie', who are charged with shooting dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast, and extended their judicial remand for another 14 days.
Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie, detained off Kerala coast since February 15 after its Marines shot dead two Indian fishermen, on Saturday sailed off from Kochi for Colombo after completion of all legal formalities, including execution of a bond for Rs 3 crore.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Italian merchant navy ship Enrica Lexie. which was seized after two of its marines had allegedly killed two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in February this year.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre and the Kerala government on the Italian government's plea to quash criminal cases filed against two of its naval personnel on board Italian vessel Enrica Lexie for the killing of two Indian fishermen. A three-judge bench of justices Altamas Kabir, S S Nijjar and Ranjan Gogoi sought replies within two weeks and posted the matter for further hearing on May 8.
Livid over the U-turn made by Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval in the Italian ship case, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday sought his immediate withdrawal from the case.
The Kerala high court on Thursday ordered release of Italian ship Enrica Lexie, detained off Kochi port for over a month in connection with the gunning down of two Indian fishermen allegedly by marines aboard the vessel.
The oral observation was made by Justice C S Gopinath while hearing arguments on a petition by the owners of the Italian vessel 'Enrica Lexie' seeking her release.
The Kerala government on Monday opposed release of Italian ship Enrica Lexie, detained in Kochi after two Italian marines on board allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast on March 15, saying it cannot be permitted to leave at this stage as investigations are on.
'In the absence of hostile or malafide intents (politically speaking), it is best to agree to pursue the matter soberly in courts of law. Fattening lawyers is far more conducive to international peace than agitating politicians,' says Nitin Pai.
A diplomatic row between India and Italy flared up on Thursday with the Italian Ambassador being summoned and a strong protest lodged over the killing of two fishermen by security guards of an Italian merchant ship off the Kerala coast.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Italian government's stand on a plea for release of its vessel Enrica Lexie whose two marines allegedly had shot dead two Indian fishermen, Jalastine and Binki, in February.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Sunday said the law of the country would take its own course in fishermen killing case in which the crew of an Italian ship fired at and killed two Indians off Kollam coast in Kerala.
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi also expressed satisfaction with the Indian Supreme Court's decision.
India accused the two Italian marines on board the MV Enrica Lexie, an Italian flagged oil tanker, of shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast on February 15, 2012.
Unhappy over India's handling of the marine's issue, Italy took the matter to the International Tribunal on Law of the Sea challenging Indian jurisdiction in the case.
Italy has criticised India's handling of the case of two of its marines accused of killing two Indian fisherman as "contradictory" and "disconcerting" ahead of a hearing of the case in India's Supreme Court.
Expressing concern over the delay in the trial of its marines charged with murder, Italy on Wednesday ruled out sending four seamen as witnesses in the case and sought other legal options to take forward the investigation.
"It is here that the examination and trial has to be held. But a big foul play has been held in this case right from the beginning by the Centre. We were against the Centre's approach before also and we had strongly criticised it," Vijayan said.
Massimiliano Latorre, one of the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast, will not return to 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.
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi on Monday spoke to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and sought a "rapid and positive solution" in the case of the two Italian marines being held in India for allegedly shooting to death two Indian fishermen in 2012.
The SC agreed to hear on September 20 Latorre's plea which has sought the same bail conditions applicable to co-accused Salvatore Girone.
"Italy is willing to try the marines at home, but in the meantime we ask for their freedom," said Interior Minister Angelino Alfano was quoted as saying by ANSA news agency.
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.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has said the trial of two marines in India over the killing of two Indian fishermen has run into new "difficulty" because of upcoming general elections in that country.
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