NIA to continue probing Italian marines case as SC leaves probe agency to govt

NEW DELHI: The NIA will continue to probe the Italian marines case despite Italian objections to the anti-terror wing handling what Rome says is a sea piracy case, with the supreme court today leaving central government to decide the agency to probe and prosecute the marines.

The court order, backing the central government, also leaves the government free to decide whether to charge the marines, accused of killing two indian fishermen off the kerala coast, under the stringent SUA.

SUA carries a mandatory death sentence and the italian government had objected to the NIA taking it up as it would mean invoking SUA.

AG G.E. Vahanvati, who represented the central government, said that SUA has not been invoked so far against the marines, but much would depend on the results of the probe by the NIA.

The top court bench, led by CJI Altamas Kabir, also said that the special court would hear the case on a daily basis to speed up the trial.

The italians were also allowed to raise any objections on jurisdiction before the special court.