Indian investigators question Italian Navy riflemen
(ANSA) – Rome, November 11 – Indian investigators are questioning four Italian Navy riflemen as witnesses in the shooting deaths of two Indian fishermen last year, embassy sources said Monday.
The video-conference interrogation is taking place at the Indian embassy in Rome. Ajesh Binki and Valentine aka Gelastine were allegedly shot dead on February 15, 2012, when Italian Navy Marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone opened fire on their fishing trawler from privately-owned Italian-flagged oil-tanker MT Enrica Lexie. The shooting occurred just off the coast of Kerala in southern India, near traditional Indian fishing grounds in the Laccadive Sea.
The incident sparked a diplomatic row between the governments of India and Italy, stemming from a conflict of opinions over legal jurisdiction and functional immunity.
The two marines have since been extradited to India, where they could face murder charges.
The four Navy riflemen are being heard in the presence of Italian government envoy Staffan De Mistura, the sources said.