New Delhi: The Supreme Court yesterday reserved its order on the plea by the Italian government challenging a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the killing of two Indians by two Italian marines off the Kerala coast.
The Italian government and the marines also questioned the invoking of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act, 2002 in the case but these pleas were also rejected by the court
Italian marines Chief Master Sergeant Massimilano Latorre and Sergeant Salvatore Girone, on board Italian cargo vessel Enrica Lexie, shot dead two Indian fishermen Feb 15 last year suspecting them to be pirates.
The Italian government told the apex court bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, Justice Anil R Dave and Justice Vikramajit Sen that invoking of the safe navigation law in a first information report (FIR) registered in New Delhi was contrary to its (apex court’s) earlier decision.
Italy claimed the apex court earlier said that the proceedings over the case pending in a Kerala court be transferred to Delhi. The court will pronounce its order April 22.
The safe navigation law confers on the court jurisdiction if the target of a crime is an Indian vessel or a platform on the Indian continental shelf.
Appearing for the Italian government and its two marines, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi told the court that even when Kerala Police filed the FIR in the killings they invoked the safe navigation law but later dropped it.
IANS
