'Indian laws applicable to killing of fishermen incident'

A day after its envoy to Rome was summoned in connection with the arrest of two Italian marines for allegedly killing two Indian fishermen, India today asserted the country's laws were applicable in the incident and it will abide by the outcome of legal process in Kerala.

A day after its envoy to Rome was summoned in connection with the arrest of two Italian marines for allegedly killing two Indian fishermen, India on Wednesday asserted the country's laws were applicable in the incident and it will abide by the outcome of legal process in Kerala.

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"Our Ambassador was summoned by the foreign minister of Italy and he did explain their view....They do not feel Indian court has jurisdiction over it (killing of Indian fishermen)," senior government sources said here.

However, sources said India's view has been very consistent in the case. "The vessel protection detachments do not have global sanctity in terms of international laws....Indian laws are applicable in this case but we do understand that Italy has a difference of opinion on this," they said.

"...Whatever the court decides in Kerala, we, as executive, will abide by that. We believe that our judiciary is free, fair and independent and we await for the outcome of the legal process in Kerala."

Italian foreign minister Giulio Terzi had summoned country's Ambassador Debabrata Saha to Rome to condemn the imprisonment of the two Italian marines accused of shooting dead two Indian fishermen.

Terming the incarceration of the two soldiers in a prison in Kerala ordered by a judge as "unacceptable", Terzi told Saha that even the preferential treatment afforded to the two men, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who are currently being housed in a separate structure within the prison, was "not satisfactory".

Terzi reportedly told the Ambassador that Italy "does not recognise the legitimacy" of the legal case in India "due to the absence of jurisdiction."