Two Italian marines, charged with murder in connection with the death of two Indian fishermen, were on Monday remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by a court in Kollam and sent to the Central Prison at Thiruvananthapuram.
The marines, Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, were produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate A.K. Gopakumar as their police custody ended on Monday afternoon.
The court turned down their plea that they should be given all privileges in prison enjoyed by military officials as the Italian government still considered them as military officials. The Magistrate said that under Indian law, there was no provision to accord such special privilege.
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The court, however, directed the prison authorities not to lodge them along with other prisoners and to provide them medical facilities. They should also be allowed to interact with Italian visitors for an hour every day between 10 am and 1 pm.
On their plea that they be given special accommodation outside the prison, the Magistrate said it was not within the purview of the court to consider.
However, the court said if the ADGP (Prison) thought it necessary, he could take a decision after consulting the state government and taking into account the security aspects.
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The court permitted the prosecution’s request to seek the services of the experts of the Mercantile Marine Department to inspect the electronic equipment on the ship Enrica Lexie from which the fishermen were fired at while they were fishing in a boat along with nine others.
The court asked prison authorities to arrange for Italian food for the marines during their stay in prison.