Italy govt rejects reports about Italian marine not to return to India

New Delhi: Italy government on Wednesday rejected media reports that claimed that one the country's two marines, charged for killing Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast four years ago, will not face trial in India.

According to a Hindustan Times report, senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, appearing for the Italian ambassador to India, told a bench headed by Justice AR Dave, which extended the stay of marine Massimiliano Latorre in Italy till April 30, has called the reports 'stray'.

The bench wanted to know from Sorabjee if the reports were true.

Referring to the statement made by the Italian senator, Sorabjee said that the reported statement was an individual’s personal opinion and that the senator was not even a part of the Italian government. He assured the bench that Italy did not intend to defy any SC direction.

The senior counsel then requested the bench to extend Lattore’s stay in Italy since the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) was about to begin proceedings on Italy’s claim that it had the jurisdiction to proceed against the marines and not the Indian government. Sorabjee said ITLOs would take at least two years to adjudicate the dispute.

At this the bench asked additional solicitor general Pinky Anand, representing the Union Government, to come back and apprise it as to how much time ITLOS would take. Anand will get back to the court with instructions on April 13, HT report stated.

Nicola Latorre, president of the Senate Defence Committee, had recently said Massimiliano Latorre will not return to India, and furthermore, the possibility of asking for Salvatore Girone`s return is being explored.

(With Agency inputs)