In the midst of the diplomatic row between New Delhi and Rome over the killing of Indian fishermen off Kerala coast, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Steffan de Mistura on Wednesday met Chief Minister Oomen Chandy in Kottayam.
The police on Saturday denied permission to an Italian team, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Steffan de Mistura, to visit the family members of one of the two fishermen shot dead allegedly by marines of an Italian merchant ship. According to police sources, the Italian team was dissuaded from visiting the victim's house on security grounds. The victim's kin also did not show keen interest to meet the Italians, sources close to the family said.
As the two countries differed on the issue of arrest of two Italian marines for killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Steffan de Mistura on Wednesday met Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur in New Delhi to discuss the matter.
With India sticking to its stance that it will go only by the law of the land in handling the case of the killing of its two fishermen by Italian marines, Italy on Friday pinned its hopes on the ballistic examination of the weapons used saying it would help bring out the truth.
NIA is likely to question four Italian marines, who were witness to the killing of two fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012, through video conferencing after their refusal to come to India for deposition and home ministry's reluctance to send any team to Rome to quiz them.
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