Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urging that the government should make “earnest efforts to build international pressure to ensure a fair trial in Italy” for the two Italian marines who shot and killed two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.
“It is quite shocking that such a grave crime committed against our citizens is not being brought to justice in our country. The matter definitely deserved a more sensitive and cautious handling from the beginning and during the proceedings in the ITLOS (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea), as it involved the loss of life of two innocent Indians,” Vijayan wrote.
On Thursday, the Permanent Court of Arbitration Tribunal in The Hague upheld the conduct of the Indian authorities in the Enrica Lexie case in which the marines were accused of killing two Indian fishermen.
The tribunal stated that India was entitled to get compensation in the case but ruled that the marines cannot be prosecuted due to their official immunity.
Vijayan also sought Modi’s intervention in getting just compensation to the families of the fishermen, who had lost their lives while they had put out to sea to earn their livelihood.
{{/usCountry}}Vijayan also sought Modi’s intervention in getting just compensation to the families of the fishermen, who had lost their lives while they had put out to sea to earn their livelihood.
{{/usCountry}}As two valuable lives have been lost without any provocation from the victims we need to bargain for an exemplary amount, the CM said.
“We should also keep our options of approaching ITLOS within the stipulated time of one year if getting compensation is not possible through negotiations,” Vijayan said.