Government agrees to settle marines case after Italy submitted proposal for consensual solution

NEW DELHI: Amid another diplomatic stand-off with Italy, the Modi government on Thursday admitted that it was considering a proposal from Rome for a “consensual solution” to the case involving two marines, standing trial in the Supreme Court for the killing two fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said, “yes” to a question in Parliament on Thursday on whether the Italian government had sought a consensual solution to the long-pending issue of the two Italian marines. “The matter is currently sub-judice in the Supreme Court of India. The proposal of the Italian government is at present under examination by the government,” Swaraj said.

ET was the first to report, on October 14, that Italy had submitted such a proposal to New Delhi for a consensual solution to the vexed issue and NSA Ajit Doval had called for a meeting to consider the same.

The Supreme Court had on December 16 refused the pleas of marine Massimiliano Latorre seeking extension of his stay in Italy on health grounds and that of his fellow marine permission to travel there for Christmas, saying they cannot get such a “leeway”.

Reacting to the same, Italy on Wednesday said it could recall its ambassador to India, Daniele Mancini, for “urgent consultations” and Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said that the full physical recovery of marine Latorre was “a priority for the government and nothing would be done to jeopardise his condition” and Latorre, who was allowed to leave India in September for four months, “is in no condition to travel”.

On an earlier occasion too, the court had allowed the marines to travel to Italy for Christmas but the Italy government had refused to send them back saying the case happened in international waters and India had no jurisdiction to try them.