Massimilano Latorre, one of the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen, sought the Supreme Court’s permission on Monday to return to his country for two months to recuperate from a stroke.
The court asked the Centre to give its response and posted the matter for hearing on September 12.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told presspersons that the government would not oppose the plea.
“If the courts allow him [Latorre] to go home on humanitarian grounds, we will not oppose it,” she said.
“As far as the case is concerned, the matter is sub judice and there can only be a judicial resolution and not a diplomatic solution.”
Latorre’s lawyers, Soli Sorabjee and K.T.S. Tulsi, told a three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, that their client had been admitted to hospital after collapsing at the Italian Embassy, where he had been detained, along with Salvatore Girone, while waiting for the trial to start.
Mr. Tulsi said Mr. Latorre had suffered a mild stroke and was acutely depressed. Senior counsel urged the court to give the marine permission to travel to Italy and be with his family and children for two months.
He drew the Bench’s attention to the presence of Italian Ambassador Daniele Mancini in the courtroom as a sign of assurance that Italy would abide by any condition that the court imposed on it for fulfilling the marine’s wish.
“What is the stage of the trial,” Justice Kurian Joseph asked Mr. Tulsi.
Counsel replied that no charge sheet has been filed yet and further proceedings in the case had been kept in abeyance.
Additional Solicitor-General P.S. Narasimha, representing the Centre, submitted that he would require time till Friday to respond to Latorre’s plea.
Earlier report: >SC seeks Centre’s response on Italian marine Latorre’s plea
