New Delhi: The country's Supreme court has closed a 2012 murder case against two Italian soldiers for killing two Kerala fishermen. The Supreme Court, while pronouncing its verdict in the case, has ordered compensation of Rs 4 crore each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 2 crore to the boat owner. The incident in 2012 also created an atmosphere of tension between the two countries. The International Court of Inquiry had ordered a case against italian marines in their own country. Now both these marines will be prosecuted in Italy.

The central government had earlier submitted the compensation amount given by the Italian government to the apex court and requested for closure of the case. In fact, the case dates to February 2012, when India accused two Italian marines Salvador Girone and Masimilano Latore of killing two Indian fishermen fishing in the Special Economic Zone (EEZ). At the time of the incident, the two marines were aboard a tanker ship MV Enrica Lexi, with the Italian national flag on the ship. The incident took place about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala, after which the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) intercepted Enrica Lexi and detained both Italian marines Salvador Giron and Masimilano Latore.

In 2013, the Government of India allowed marines to return from Italy. On arrival in Italy, the authorities informed India that they would not send their troops back to India unless there was a guarantee that they would not be sentenced to death. In a tense atmosphere, the two marines came to India without guaranteeing Italy after talks through diplomatic channels. Shortly thereafter, Latore moved back to Italy from India on September 13, 2014 and Giron on May 28, 2016.

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