Thiruvananthapuram: With the Supreme Court Friday ruling that the Kerala government has no independent jurisdiction to try the two Italian marines for shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast last year, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the verdict is no setback because it upheld the argument that the case can be tried under Indian law.
“The Italian’s had argued that Indian laws are not applicable and this has been ruled out by the apex court. Now the Indian law will oversee the case,” Chandy said.
Earlier, Dora Gelastine, wife of one of the fishermen Gelastine, 45, said she will let the court decide on justice for her.
“I have lost everything and hence I have no opinion to say on this new ruling. Let the court decide and I should get justice,” she said.
An apex court bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J. Chelameswar held that it was only the Union of India that had the jurisdiction to hold the trial of the two marines Massimilano Latorre and Salvatore Girone.
However, the court said the central government, in consultation with the chief justice, will set up a special court to hold the trial.
Reacting to this, former Left Democratic Front (LDF) minister from Kollam Premachandran blamed the central government for playing truant.
“Initially the centre pointed out that the country has no jurisdiction in this case as it happened in international waters, but bowing to huge public pressure, they changed their stand.
“The government took a casual approach and allowed the two Italian marines to go home for Christmas,” said Premachandran.
Two Italian marines, Chief Master Sergeant Massimilano Latorre and Sergeant Salvatore Girone, on board the Italian cargo vessel Enrica Lexie had shot dead two Indian fishermen Feb 15 last year suspecting them to be pirates.