Fishermen deaths: Italian Marine seeks to delay return to India later due to heart surgery

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear Monday a plea by Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre seeking extension of his stay in Italy following heart surgery he underwent on 5 January. An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu said it would hear the matter Monday after senior counsel KTS Tulsi told the court that Latorre had undergone heart surgery, and requested for the extension of his stay in Italy. However, Tulsi left it to the court the period for which the Italian marine could be given extension of time to stay in his home country. [caption id=“attachment_2034305” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The two marines are accused of murder. PTI image[/caption] Latorre, along with his colleague, Salvatore Girone, has been accused of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast, apparently mistaking them for sea pirates. The Italian Foreign Minister had earlier said that they would say if Latorre was fit enough to return to India. Latorre had flown to Italy after suffering a stroke-like attack in 2014. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in a radio interview had said that “we will see” if Latorre is well enough to return to India as scheduled in mid-January. The marine’s health is an “absolute priority,” he was quoted as saying by the Italian ANSA news agency. Despite several high-level requests by the Italians to intervene, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has maintained that “it’s better for the question to be addressed bilaterally, rather than with the involvement of the UN,” according to reports in the Italian media. Reports from Rome had said Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told a year-end press conference that a “direct channel” had been opened with India and that it has raised the the possibility of resolving the almost three-year-old issue. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament earlier that the proposal of the Italian government for a consensual solution to the case is at present under examination. with inputs from Agencies