Italian marines Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone have got a deal similar to that of the gangster Abu Salem, which ensures that they won't get the death penalty. Sheela Bhatt reports on how a diplomatic stand-off was averted.
The high court directed the central government counsel to file a statement in response to the plea and listed the matter for hearing after two weeks.
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.
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.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon expects India and Italy to resolve their standoff over the marine issues constructively and in compliance with their international obligations."The Secretary-General hopes and expects Italy and India to resolve this matter constructively, and in compliance with their international obligations," Eduardo del Buey, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN chief, told reporters.
Notwithstanding National Investigation Agency slapping murder charge against two Italian marines, India will honour the assurance given to Italy that the duo will not face death penalty for allegedly killing two fishermen off Kerala coast.
The National Investigation Agency has registered a murder case against two Italian marines for allegedly killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast last year.
Two Italian marines, arrested 10 months back for shooting dead two Indian fishermen, on Saturday flew back home for Christmas in a chartered flight, but will have to return within two weeks as per the court order.
The controversy surrounding two Italian marines facing murder charges in India has triggered tensions between both the nations and now a journalist from Italy has penned a book to soothe frayed nerves back home by sharing India's side of the story with his countrymen.
The National Investigation Agency, which has been asked to probe the killing of two Kerala fishermen allegedly by Italian marines, will not seek the death sentence for the two accused, honouring an assurance given to Italy by India.
The National Investigation Agency was on Monday handed over the probe into the killing of two Indian fishermen, allegedly by Italian marines, off the Kerala coast.
The European Commission on Friday expressed relief over the end of a diplomatic stand-off between India and Italy over marines issue.
The ministry of external affairs has ratified an agreement with Italy that will allow convicted nationals of both countries to be transferred back to serve sentences in their own country, an officer in the ministry said.
The two Italian marines -- - Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Giron -- facing trial for killing two Kerala fishermen returned to India on Friday evening, just within the deadline set by the Supreme Court.
The US has refused to involve itself in the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Italy over two Italian marines who skipped bail while on trial for murder, saying it is an issue for the two nations to resolve.
The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained Italian ambassador to India Daniele Mancini from leaving the country, and asked him to appear before the court on Monday after Italy refuses to send back two marines charged with killing Indian fishermen. The SC has also issued a notice to the Italian ambassador and the two marines.
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.
An emotional Italian Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola has said that the two Italian marines who were sent back to India to face trial for the killing of Indian fishermen did so willingly.
The mother of one of the Italian marines facing trial in India for killing two Indian fishermen on Sunday said justice has been done and "everything is fine now".
Two Italian marines, who were facing trial in India for allegedly killing two fishermen and were recently granted permission by the Supreme Court to go home to vote in the general election, will not return to India, Italian government said on Monday night.
The Supreme Court on Friday permitted two Italian marines, accused of shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala, to travel to their country to cast vote in the upcoming elections there.
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.
In the light of Friday's Supreme Court ruling, the two Italian marines, facing murder charges in Kerala for shooting to death two fishermen off Alappuzha coast, left for New Delhi by an Air India flight.
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who were allowed to go home for two weeks by the high court, came by a special flight for Kochi at 7.50 am, airport sources said.
After celebrating Christmas with their families, the two Italian Marines, facing murder charges in Kerala, are expected to reach the state on Friday complying with the high court directive.
Granting them bail, Justice NK Balakrishnan said the two accused should execute a bond for Rs 1 crore each, besides two Indian sureties for the like amount
Italy's Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paolo on Sunday visited the two Italian marines who are facing trial in a Kerala court for the killing of two Indian fishermen. Paolo also made an appeal for allowing Massimiliano Latore and Salvatore Girone to return to Italy for Christmas.
The Italian government had made a plea to state authorities to shift the marines to a guest house declaring it as a prison. Based on this, the Supreme Court had observed that the state DGP and jail ADGP could take an appropriate decision on shifting the marines from the jail.
In Rome, the Italian Foreign Ministry in a statement said: "In the light of the developments in the situation in Kerala and the charges against the two Italian servicemen, Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, the Italian ambassador to New Delhi, Giacomo Sanfelice has been recalled to Rome for consultations with the government".
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.
Two Italian marines charged with murder in connection with the killing of two Indian fishermen, were on Monday remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by a court in Kollam and sent to the Central Prison at Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala high court on Thursday admitted a petition filed by the Italian government seeking to quash the FIR against two of its naval personnel, arrested in connection with the recent shooting to death of two Indian fishermen off the state coast.
Giulio Terzi, who resigned as Italy's foreign minister over Rome's decision to send two marines back to India to face trial for killing Indian fishermen, says he does not "feel like a scapegoat" over his surprise move to resign, to oppose his government's U-turn on the issue.
A team of National Investigation Agency sleuths is likely to visit Italy to question four Italian marines, who were witnesses to the killing of two fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012, after their refusal to come to India for deposition before investigators.
Italy will do everything to bring back by Christmas two of its marines, who have been in India for over one-and-a-half years to face trial for killing two Indian fishermen, the country's special envoy in the case has said.
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi also expressed satisfaction with the Indian Supreme Court's decision.
Latore Massimilliano and Salvatore Girone walked out of the Borstal prison here around 9.30 pm after they fulfilled the stringent bail conditions of the Kerala High Court, prison authorities said.
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.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution asking India to allow the return of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen, drawing a sharp reaction from New Delhi which termed the step not "well advised" as the matter was sub judice.
Taking note of a plea by some fishermen seeking compensation, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Kerala high court not to disburse any amount from the Rs 2 crore earmarked for the owner of fishing boat St Antony in which two fishermen were killed by Italian marines in 2012.
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