The Italian troubles

 

India has been always found struck with Italian deals come it may be Bofors scandal or Augusta Helicopter’s scandal or the current Italian Navy Marine’s case.

 

The two Italian Navy marines-Massimiliano and Salvatore, who were found guilty for killing the two Indian fisher man in the Indian territorial waters off the Kerala coast in the last year, were allowed to return home for voting in the elections after they gave an undertaking to the apex court on February 22nd of assuring to attend the court proceedings. Earlier, they were allowed to go home to attend the Christmas celebrations and returned to India as promised to the court. But, this time the Italian External Ministry has refused to send them back to India.

 

This lead to uproar in the Parliament by opposition which demands the government to ensure the two marines return to India for facing the trail. Indian Ministry of External Affairs has summoned the Italian ambassador to India Daniele Mancini and conveyed its objections over Italian government’s decision and asked him to pressurize his government to honor the orders of Supreme Court. However, the Italian government, which thinks otherwise, has decided to let the case handle by international arbitrator rather than Supreme Court of India.

 

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh answering to a question raised by the opposition parties in the parliament has said the Italian government's decision was unacceptable and it will not be taken lightly. But, keeping in view our past experiences, it is to be understood that this case also will be shelved during the course of time like several other cases.