Marine seeks extension to stay in Italy on health grounds

Italian sailors Salvatore Girone (L) and Massimiliano Latorre sit in a private boat after appearing at the police commissioner office in the southern Indian city of Kochi in this November 14, 2012 file photo. Indian prosecutors allege two Indian fishermen were shot by two Italian marines serving as security guards on an Italian-flagged oil tanker, the Enrica Lexie, about 20 nautical miles off the southern Indian state of Kerala in February last year. To go with Insight INDIA-ITALY-MARINES/ Picture taken November 14, 2012. REUTERS/Sivaram V (INDIA - Tags: CRIME LAW MILITARY POLITICS)

Massimiliano Latorre, one of the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012, on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking extension of his stay in Italy on grounds of undergoing a heart surgery on January 5.

The bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice A K Sikri, which had earlier refused to grant the extension to Latorre, agreed to hear his plea on Monday.

Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for Latorre, mentioned the fresh plea and sought urgent hearing saying that the marine, whose surgery was scheduled on January 8 in Italy, had to get it advanced due to medical urgency.

The case against marines pertains to the killing of two Indian fishermen allegedly by Latorre and Girone on board ship ’Enrica Lexie’ off Kerala coast on February 15, 2012.

Earlier, the court had refused the plea of Latorre seeking extension of his stay in Italy on health grounds.

It had also rejected the plea of co-accused Marine Salvatore Girone who had sought the apex court’s nod to go to Italy to celebrate Christmas saying they cannot get such “leeway“.

Latorre was allowed by the apex court to go to Italy on September 12, last year for four months for medical treatment and recovery after he suffered a stroke here on August 31.

Later, Latorre had sought extension on the ground of scheduled heart surgery on January 8, which was denied.

“Please ask him (Latorre) to come back. He has to come back. We cannot say that he should undergo surgery here. By now he should have got the surgery done. One more medical certificate, one more heart surgery... Victim also has a right. You can not get the leeway. It can’t happen like that,” the court had said.

Earlier on September 12, the apex court had allowed Lattore to travel to his country for his “more rapid and complete recovery” after he had suffered brain stroke on August 31.

The complaint was lodged by Freddy, the owner of the fishing boat ‘St Antony’, in which the two Indian fishermen were killed when the marines started firing on them allegedly under the misconception that they were pirates.