Judicial custody of Italian marines extended till May 11

Kollam (Kerala), April 30 (IANS) A Kerala court Monday extended till May 11 the judicial custody of two Italian marines arrested for shooting dead two Indian fishermen Feb 15 off Alappuzha.

Italians Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone were presented before the Kollam chief judicial magistrate who extended their remand.

They were sentenced by the court Feb 20 to 14 days custody, of which the first three days were in police custody. The judicial custody was later extended twice by seven days each.

The two were lodged in a special room in the prison and recently their family members were allowed to meet them.

Fishermen Ajesh Binki, 25, and Gelastine, 45, were allegedly shot dead about 14 nautical miles off Alappuzha coast in Kerala by the marines who mistook them to be pirates. The marines were on board cargo vessel Enrica Lexie.

Last week the Italian authorities reached an out-of-court settlement by paying Rs.one crore to the families of each of the killed fishermen and paid another Rs.17 lakh to J. Freddy, owner of the fishing boat in which the victims were travelling, as compensation for damage to the boat.

The owners of the Italian ship have now moved the Supreme Court for its release by the authorities in Kerala.