NIA to probe marines’ case, death penalty not ruled out
27 April 2013 8:13 AM IST
India’s anti-terrorism agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) will investigate the case of two Italian marinesaccused of murdering two Indian fishermen, the Supreme Court said on Friday, raising the possibility once more of the men facing the death penalty.
The accused, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are charged with murder in connection with the shooting of two fishermen off the Kerala coast last year while serving as security guards on a cargo ship.
The two say they fired warning shots at a fishing boat believing it to be a pirate vessel with armed men onboard. Italy maintains the incident happened in international waters and that the men should be tried on home soil. Last week, Italy opposed India’s decision to appoint the anti-terrorism agency NIA to investigate the case, saying that the NIA only had the jurisdiction to investigate terrorist crimes.
It fears the NIA will invoke a maritime security law that attracts a mandatory punishment of death.
The accused, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are charged with murder in connection with the shooting of two fishermen off the Kerala coast last year while serving as security guards on a cargo ship.
The two say they fired warning shots at a fishing boat believing it to be a pirate vessel with armed men onboard. Italy maintains the incident happened in international waters and that the men should be tried on home soil. Last week, Italy opposed India’s decision to appoint the anti-terrorism agency NIA to investigate the case, saying that the NIA only had the jurisdiction to investigate terrorist crimes.
It fears the NIA will invoke a maritime security law that attracts a mandatory punishment of death.
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