The passports of the Italian marines, Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone were released by the Kollam District and Sessions Court on Friday. The marines were arrested on February 19 from the Italian-flagged ship Enrica Lexie on charges of opening fire and killing two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast on February 15.
They had surrendered their passports to the court as one of the conditions for their bail. The passports were released following Kerala High Court’s conditional permission granted on Thursday, subject to the decision of the union government that the marines could be at home in Italy for Christmas.
The conditions included execution of a bank guarantee for Rs. 6 crore. The marines executed a bank guarantee for that amount in their names through the Kollam branch of the Dhanalakshmi Bank and also gave a written assurance to adhere to other conditions imposed by the High Court.
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The assurance given by them was that they would return and surrender before the Kochi City Police Commissioner by 3 p.m. on January 10. They also gave an undertaking that they would appear before the Kollam court on January 15, the date on which the case has been posted.
As a guarantee to the assurance given by the marines, the Italian Ambassador to India, Giacomo Sanfelice di Moteforte and the Italian Consul General Giampaolo Cutillo filed affidavits before the court that on behalf of the Italian government they unconditionally undertake the responsibility that all conditions imposed by the High Court will be obeyed by the accused marines.
They also gave the undertaking that while in Italy the two marines will be under proper surveillance during travel and will not leave Italy. All their movements in Italy will also be duly informed to the Kochi City Police Commissioner. As per directions from the Kollam court the marines also executed an additional bond reaffirming the assurance executed before the High Court.
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