New Delhi: Massimiliano Latorre, one of two Italian marines accused of murdering Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala almost four years ago, has been given a reprieve by the Supreme Court after it extended the Marine’s stay outside India till April 30.
The apex court also asked the government to apprise the court by April 13 about the developments in international arbitration proceedings in the marines case.
India had granted Massimiliano Latorre, who suffered a stroke while in New Delhi in 2014, a period of leave in Italy for medical treatment, but he was supposed to return by Friday. The second sailor on trial, Salvatore Girone, is being held in the Italian embassy in New Delhi.
Read: Kerala government asks Centre to take stern action in Italian Marine case
"Massimiliano Latorre will not return to India, and furthermore, the possibility of asking for Salvatore Girone's return is being explored," Italian media had earlier quoted Nicola Latorre, president of the Senate Defence Committee, as saying.
Latorre did not provide details and did not immediately respond to calls. When contacted, the prime minister's office and the foreign ministry did not confirm or deny Latorre's comments.
The two men say they accidentally killed two fishermen when they mistook a fishing boat for a pirate ship and fired warning shots while protecting an Italian oil tanker in 2012.
In 2013, Italy reversed an initial decision not to send the marines back to India to stand trial after a home visit, in a bid to tone down the diplomatic row.
