Further delays in the Italian marines' case raise eyebrows among Indians as well
Kochi (AsiaNews) - "The families of the victims and the entire fishing community is anxiously waiting for further developments in the case. We cannot understand why things suddenly slowed down," said Fr Stephen Kulakkayathil. The parish priest of Quilon, who is also a former secretary general of the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC), spoke to AsiaNews about today's court decision in Kollam to postpone ruling on who has jurisdiction in the case.
Italian ship Enrica Lexie today was authorised to leave the port of Kochi, but nothing more is known about the ballistic test on the weapons used in the incident.
The two Italian marines Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre remain in jail after a court in Kollam renewed their detention order for another fortnight. The two soldiers are the only people under investigation for the incident on 15 February involving the Italian oil tanker and an Indian fishing trawler that left two fishermen, Gelastine and Ajesh Binki, dead.
The Mercantile Marine Department of the Union Ministry of Shipping also announced in a statement filed before the Kerala High Court that all the evidence was taken from the ship.
The Director-General of Shipping or the department did not have any objection to the ship being released on condition that the owner of the vessel would present the master, crew, and security guards of the ship before any competent authority or courts in India in connection with any further investigation, if so required.
In the meantime, life is slowly getting back to normal for the victims' families. Gelastine's widow has started at her new job in the port, which is part of the compensation package offered by Kerala state authorities to the families of the two dead fishermen.
The great rally by some 230,000 fishermen urging the Kerala government to provide greater security at sea was a great "success", Fr Stephen Kulakkayathil said.
"A few days after our rally, the head of the government called the fishing associations and fishermen's unions to discuss their demands," the clergyman explained. "Talks went well and he promised that our demands would be included in the state budget."
Satellite-tracked shipping lanes and an emergency hotline are among the demands. (GM)
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