Even as the visiting Italian deputy foreign minister Staffan de Mistura on Wednesday expressed terrible sadness over the killing of two Indian fishermen and pointed out that their death took place in international waters, India stuck to its stand and justified the action of the Kerala Government in arresting the two Italian marines and going ahead with their prosecution.

Italian authorities also filed a petition in the Kerala High Court today seeking quashing of murder charges against the arrested Marines and their immediate release.

Two Italian marines were arrested and put behind bars for killing two fishermen in Indian waters on Feb 15. The Marines were part of the security team which accompanied the ship Enrica Lexie.

Staffan de Mistura met the minister of state for external affairs Praneet Kaur as soon as he landed in Delhi this morning and discussed the issue for over an hour.

After the meeting, the visiting Italian minister said the incident took place in international waters and the truth must be ascertained. “The marines can’t be tried in Indian Courts,” he argued.

However, Praneet Kaur said that India will go by its law of the land in dealing with the fishermen. “The crime took place in Indian waters and the marines will be tried in Indian courts,” she insisted.

We will go ahead with prosecution: Oommen Chandy

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told a media conference in Thiruvananthapuram this morning that the government would go ahead with prosecution of the two Italians who have been booked under Section 302 of IPC for killing the fishermen on Feb 15.

“We are within our right to prosecute them,” he said, adding that the Centre has extended full cooperation to the state government in dealing with the issue. (JUBS)