Marines issue: SC restrains Italian ambassador from leaving India

Italian Ambassador to India Daniele Mancini exits the Ministry of External Affairs offices in New Delhi on March 12, 2013. Mancini was summoned to the ministry following Italy's refusal to return two marines facing trial in India for the killing of two fishermen. The marines are accused of shooting dead the Indian fishermen off the country's southwestern coast in February last year, when their fishing boat came close to the Italian oil tanker they were guarding. AFP PHOTO

The Supreme Court Thursday restrained Italian ambassador Daniele Mancini from leaving the country till March 18 without its permission.

The apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, while restraining the Italian ambassador from leaving the country, issued notice to the Italian government, its ambassador, and the two marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen Feb 15, 2012.

The court said the notices are returnable by March 18.

The Italian ambassador was issued notice on going back on his undertaking to the court assuring the return of the two marines after their four weeks' stay in Italy.

The court issued the notice after Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati informed the court about the sequence of events starting from the Italian government's statement that the two marines will not return to India to face trial after the expiry of four weeks for which they were allowed to visit their country.

The Supreme Court in February allowed Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, accused of killing two poor Indian fishermen off Kerala, to fly to Italy to vote in the Feb 24-25 national election.

When the Italians were allowed by the Supreme Court to return to Italy for a second time (they went during Christmas and returned), Rome's ambassador here Daniele Mancini had promised that the two would positively return to India.

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