Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 02:23 PM IST
SC allows Italian marine Salvatore Girone to fly home but with conditions
Centre tells Supreme Court it has no objection to relaxing the bail condition of the marine.
Centre tells Supreme Court it has no objection to relaxing the bail condition of the marine.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Thursday relaxed the bail condition of Italian marine Salvatore Girone, allowing him to go to Italy till International Arbitral Tribunal decides jurisdictional issue.
However, the court relaxed his bail on certain conditions - he would have to surrender his passport once in Italy. He would have to report to police station every month and would be prohibited from leaving Italy unless the Supreme Court of India grants him permission.
The Centre had informed Supreme Court that it has no objection to relaxing the bail condition of the marine.
"Since he'll remain under jurisdiction of Supreme Court, it was decided that he can go," said the lawyer representing the marine.
Italy had accepted that if Girone is allowed to return to Italy, he would remain under the jurisdiction of the courts of India.
Earlier on May 2, the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague recommended relaxation of bail conditions of Girone, one of the two marines facing murder charges for killing two Indian fishermen.
Girone and another Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre are facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off Kerala coast.
The Arbitral Tribunal's order clearly recognises the fact that "Girone is under India's authority alone" and that the "Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction" over him.
The order further asked India and Italy to approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of the bail conditions.
Italy had earlier in March asked the PCA to order India to release Girone, saying the latter, otherwise, risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to "grave violation of his human rights".
The Supreme Court, which was handling this case, suspended the court proceedings relating to the trial of two marines in August 2015 following an order to this effect by International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) which was approached by Italy for international arbitration.
