Ahead of the hearing of the marines' case in the Supreme Court, Italian Defence Minister Mario Mauro has landed here and condemned India's failure to press charges against them even after two years of the incident.
"It is at odds with the rule of law and the fairness of relations between two sovereign democracies... It is good for Italy to make its voice heard in the international community," he told Italian news agency Ansa.
The Italian minister is in India to keep an eye on the legal proceedings against the two marines in the Supreme Court, according to the agency. The Supreme Court after hearing both sides posted the case for final hearing on February 18 and asked the Centre to make its stand clear.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Italian government challenging invoking of anti-terrorism law SUA, saying it is against the order of the apex court which allowed proceedings only under the Maritime Zone Act, IPC, CrPC and UNCLOS.
The joint petition, filed by Ambassador of Italy Daniele Mancini along with Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, also sought direction to the Centre and NIA to expedite the proceedings in the case or discharge the marines.
Latorre and Girone, part of a military security team protecting a cargo ship, allegedly fired at Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala in February 2012 in which two of them died.
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