Latorre wants to stay in Italy till worldwide tribunal decides which country can try the case.
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Latorre is accused with fellow marine Salvatore Girone of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012.
On April 26, the apex court had extended till September 30 the stay of Latorre in Italy after it was informed that the worldwide arbitral proceedings would be completed by December 2018 before global Tribunal for Law of the Sea in Germany.
In a very surprising turn of events, Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj got an opportunity to meet her Italian counterpart after the canonization ceremony of Mother Teresa.
The apex Court is set to hear the Italian marine case on September 20. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Vikas Swarup yesterday, explicitly stated that the marines were to stay under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India.
Rome: Massimiliano Latorre, one of the two Italian marines facing murder charges for killing two Indian fishermen, has approached the Supreme Court seeking an extended stay in his country Italy till final decision of global tribunal on jurisdictional issue. “The Italian side conveyed that the presence of the two marines in Italy was conducive to restarting high level exchanges in all fields”, the Hindu quoted a Diplomat. In his reply he said, “No such assurance was sought or given”.
However, differences emerged between two countries following the verdict as Indiaclaimed that the verdict upholds the Supreme Court’s Authority, while Italybelieves that it vindicates their stand that Indiahas no jurisdiction. “Matter is under arbitration”.
The top court had allowed Girone to return to Italy in the wake of April 29 order of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) asking both India and Italy to cooperate for Girone’s return till arbitration proceedings before it are ongoing.
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Latorre, who had also suffered a brain stroke on August 31, 2014, was allowed by the apex court on September 12, 2014 to go to Italy for four months and after that, extensions have been granted to him.
