Govt to urge PM Modi to bring back Italian marine: Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said that the state government would urge the Prime Minister to bring back Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre to India.

"The Italian marines committed a crime on Indian land and they are liable to obey the Indian law,” Chandy said.

Latorre is one of the two Italian marines standing trial in India over charges of killing two Malayali fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast.

Latorre was allowed by the Supreme Court in September 2014 to go to Italy initially for four months after he had suffered a brain stroke. His stay there was extended subsequently.

The Head of Italian Senate's defence committee had on Tuesday said that the marine will not return to India.

Salvatore Girone, the other accused, is in India.

The Supreme Court on July 13 last year had allowed Latorre to stay in Italy for another six months on medical grounds, after the government did not object to his plea. The six- month period ends Thursday. The matter may come up for hearing in the apex court Thursday.

The marines, who were on board ship 'Enrica Lexie', are accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast on February 15, 2012 after mistaking them for pirates.

The Supreme Court which was handling the case suspended the court proceedings relating to the trial of two marines in August last year following an order to this effect by International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) which was approached by Italy for international arbitration.