New Delhi: The Supreme court on Wednesday allowed a marine accused of killing Indian fishermen to stay on further in Italy till April 30, a day after a senator said he will not be coming back to face trial.
The order came on a day the six-month period allowed for Massimilano Latorre's stay in Italy on health grounds ended.
Italian government sources said the views expressed by Nicola Latorre -- head of senate's defence committee -- were in his individual capacity and not that of the government.
Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs too said there was no official word from Italy and that they cannot comment on the statement of a "politician."
On Saturday, senator Latorre was quoted by an Italian news agency as saying, "Massimiliano Latorre will not return to India, and furthermore, the possibility of asking for Salvatore Girone's return is being explored."
Massimiliano Latorre was allowed by the SC in September 2014 to go to Italy initially for four months after he had suffered a brain stroke. Girone, the second sailor on trial, is being held in the Italian embassy in New Delhi.
CNN-IBN has learnt that Italy and India have agreed for international arbitration in the case.
The marines, who were on board ship 'Enrica Lexie', are accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast on February 15, 2012 after mistaking them for pirates.
Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy demanded the marines should be tried in India.
"They committed the crime on Indian soil. They should be brought back and tried under Indian law. We urge the central government to bring them back," Chandy said.
With inputs from agencies
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