JOIN USThe Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that international arbitration proceedings involving two Italian marines, accused of killing two fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012, would be completed by December, 2018.
The court, however, extended the stay of one of the marines Massimiliano Latorre in Italy till September 30. Latorre, along with other Naval officer Salvatore Girone, is accused of killing the fishermen .
A bench of Justices A R Dave, Kurian Joseph and Amitava Roy, meanwhile, asked the Italian authority here to give a fresh undertaking by April 30 to abide by the conditions under which Latorre was allowed to leave India.
Latorre’s earlier extension for stay in Italy is to come to an end by April 30. The court refused to allow a plea by senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, on behalf of Latorre for his stay in Italy till the year end. A counsel, appearing for victim fishermen, objected to the identical relief of allowing the other accused marine Salvatore Girone to leave India.
The SC said that it has been told to the tribunal that India has the freedom to go ahead with the trial. On August 26 last year, the court had suspended all proceedings here in pursuance of an interim order of the ITLOS (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea) asking India to maintain “status quo” in the case.