Fishermen’s killing: Italy Govt moves Supreme Court

Friday, April 20, 2012: The Italian government on Friday approached the Supreme Court seeking the release of its two navy personnel who were arrested by the Kerala police for the killing of two Indian fishermen. Sources said that they have pleaded that the FIR against the marines should quashed.
Italy on Friday reportedly offered Rs 1 crore as compensation to the families of the two fishermen who were killed in February this year when two marines on board an Italian ship, ‘Enrica Lexie’, fired at them, allegedly believing them to be pirates.
The compensation sum was raised to Rs 1 crore after the Defence Secretary of Italy held talks with the ship company and the fishermen’s families.
Sources say that the families of the fishermen agreed to an out-of-court settlement. The fishermen’s families had moved High Court on Thursday with a petition to transfer the case to the Lok Adalat. The two Italian marines are currently in police custody.