New Delhi: The Supreme Court today extended Italian Marine Massimiliano Latorre's stay outside India for three more months until April 30. Latorre is one of the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala Coast on Febuary 15, 2012.
The SC move follows an announcement by an Italian senator Tuesday stating that Latorre will not be returning to India to face trial after the SC allowed him to travel home temporarily for medical treatment. In September 2014, the Supreme Court had allowed Latorre to go to Italy after he suffered a brain stroke. He was suppose to return to India on Friday.
“Massimiliano Latorre will not go back to India and work is being done on the possibility of requesting for Salvatore Girone to be able to return to Italy,” Italian media quoted Nicola Latorre, president of the Senate Defence Committee, as saying.
On the other hand, Kerala CM Oommen Chandy has sought the Prime Minister's intervention to ensure the return of the accused marine and subject him to Indian laws. “The Italian marines committed a crime on Indian land and they are liable to obey the Indian law. Today itself, the Kerala government will urge PM Modi to bring back the marine to India," he said.
The other accused, Salvatore Girone, is still in India and hasn't been allowed to return to Italy by the Supreme Court. He is currently being held at the Italian embassy in New Delhi.
According to the Italian senator, there are attempts being made to try and get him back as well. “Massimiliano Latorre will not go back to India and work is being done on the possibility of requesting for Salvatore Girone to be able to return to Italy,” he said.
The two marines are accused of killing two Indian fishermen after they purportedly mistook them for pirates. The detention of the marines and Italy's insistence on their return has been a bickering point in the relations between the two countries. Given the tone of the comments made by the Italian leader today, the issue could well spiral into another diplomatic flare up.
