ITALIAN SHIP MEN SHOT DEAD TWO INDIAN FISHERMEN
Italian oil tanker ‘Enrica Lexie’ whose marines shot dead two Indian fisherman on Wednesday February 15 2012. The police bounded the ship to bring the two persons and also captain of the tanker Umberto Vilellie for questioning. The Indian fishermen were in india’s exclusive economic zone. The external affairs minister Krishna told the Italian ambassador that those responsible for killing two Indians must submit to the law of the land. The minister also told its Italian counterpart that ships captain and personal involved in the shooting must operate with Indian authorities. The chief minister Mr.Oommen Chandy consoled Valantine’s wife Daura an sons, Derick and Jean, and assured them that the government was duty-bound to assist the family.
After hetic negotiations, the kerala police arrested two marines suspected to have fired the shots from the Italian oil tanker that killed two Indian fishermen. The police brought in two marines, Lactorie Massimilliono and Selvatore Geronde for further investigation. The ship would have to stay put in kochi for at least two weeks for the investigation and leagal procedures. Italian deputy foreign minister Mr. Staffan D Mistura said on 25th feb in kochi that “it was a mistake, they were genuine fishermen”. The Italian marines expressed satisfaction over the way the kerala police treated them.
Despite the Special Investigating Team (SIT) remaining tight-lipped about the details of the weapons seized during the search done onboardEnrica Lexie , the Italian-flagged oil tanker from which two Indian fishermen were shot dead, it is learnt that seven guns were among the material seized on Saturday. According to information available, guns seized included pieces of Berretta ARX 160, assault rifles used by the Italian armed forces. Though nearly 35 weapons were found onboard, the police seized only those matching the weapon suspected to have been used to shoot the fishermen off the Kollam coast on February 15. The weapons seized and offloaded from the ship, along with other evidence, on Saturday morning were moved to the Harbour police station. Sources in the SIT said these would be presented to the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Kollam, on Monday and then to the Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram. The weapon involved in the incident can be ascertained only after a scientific examination. “We have given a letter to speed up the process to support the investigation,” said one of the officers in the SIT. The search and seizure of weapons was made in the presence of two ballistic experts from Carabinieri, the Italian police, as requested by the Italian side.
The two arrested Italian marines, Latorre Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, are housed at the CISF guest house here for interrogation. The Kollam court had given them in police custody for 10 days. Interrogation and verification of statements given by the marines are going on. R. Jayaraj, Circle Inspector, Neendakara Coastal Police, and his team are camping here to continue the interrogation process. Sources said the marines would not be taken to Kollam on Monday. In a related development, the Cochin Port Trust is awaiting communication from the shipping agent to initiate steps to move Enrica Lexie from the Cochin Oil Terminal, where it is berthed now, to the outer sea.
Port sources said that one ship, named Jawaharlal Nehru , was already waiting in the outer sea and another one, Swarnakamal , is due to arrive on Monday.
Prof.John Kurakar
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