Will keep our promise made to Italy: government

Days after a worried Italian government reached out to India to keep its two marines safe from a possible death sentence, home secretary RK Singh on Monday asserted that India would honour the assurances made to Italy. "We will honour whatever assurance was given to Italy," Singh said.

Days after a worried Italian government reached out to India to keep its two marines safe from a possible death sentence, home secretary RK Singh on Monday asserted that India would honour the assurances made to Italy. "We will honour whatever assurance was given to Italy," Singh said.

He had ordered the NIA to take over the probe into the killing of two fishermen off the Kerala coast by the Italian marines. But the NIA -like the Kerala police- invoked the tough Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act, 2002 that stipulates death penalty in case of a killing in the high seas.

On Monday, home ministry officials indicated the NIA could drop penal provisions under the maritime safety law at the time of filing chargesheet.