Legal heirs of fishermen withdraw affidavits, submissions

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday permitted legal heirs of two fishermen shot dead by two Italian marines on board 'Enrica Lexie' to withdraw the affidavits and submissions made by them against Italy's plea to quash the FIR registered against the marines.


Justice P S Gopinathan allowed a petition filed by counsel for families of the dead fishermen, stating they are not going ahead with their pleadings and submissions in view of the compensation of Rs one crore each arrived at with Italian authorities.
Doramma, wife of one of the killed fishermen Valentine and sisters of Ajesh Binki, the other fishermen killed had filed the petitions.


Sources said the Italian authorities would hand over the compensation to the families later in the day.


The legal heirs had impleaded themselves in the original petition filed by Italian Consul General Giampaolo Cutillio and the two marines Latore Massimilliano and Salvatore Girone challenging the murder charges against them.


The two fishermen were killed when the marines allegedly fired at their boat off Kollam coast. They have been arrested and charged with murder and remanded in the central prison at Thiruvananthapuram since February 19.


The ship has been anchored off Kochi coast for the past two months.