HC asks Italian marines to file a fresh affidavit

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked the Italian counsel to file a proper affidavit in the case filed by them, seeking to quash the FIR against two marines of "Enrica Lexie" for allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the Kollam coast last month.

Earlier, while hearing the petition filed by the Italian consulate, the High Court had observed that there are various defects in the petition and the affidavit was not proper.

While considering the Italian Consulate's plea, Justice P S Gopinathan found that the affidavit filed by the Marines, who are now in judicial custody, was not proper.

The Court granted them time till March 30 to file an affidavit signed by the Marines, now lodged in the Central Prison in Thiruvananthapuram after being remanded to judicial custody by a court in Kollam

The Court asked the Advocate General of Kerala to get the signatures of the marines with the proper consent of the authorities concerned.

Marines Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Gironi have been arrested and charged with murder for allegedly gunning down the two fishermen on February 15 off Kollam coast after suspecting them to be pirates.

The case is being investigated by a special investigation team led by the Kochi police commissioner.