All powers of Italy are hell-bent on bailing out their Navy men

Judging from the keenness with which various powerful arms of Italian authorities are protecting the alleged killers of two Indian fishermen, it would be a tedious effort for Kerala police to take measures to keep the duo here.

Initially, the Italian authorities have been successful in keeping Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone, the two Italian marines, to themselves. Which means the three days of police custody means they are in safe custody in guest houses.

The magistrate has granted 14 days custody, initial three days in police custody and the rest in judicial custody.

But the Italian authorities are moving Kerala High Court pleading for cancellation of the first information report filed by Kerala police on the plea that the duo are foreign nationals and the incident occurred outside the coastal authority of the state of Kerala.

There would be hair-splitting arguments about nautical miles, ordinary miles, and about the arms used for firing being Italian Navy’s properties and therefore these cannot be handed over to Kerala police etc.

If the Italian authorities manage to get a favourable order from the High Court they would spirit away their Naval boys.

As of now the captain of the ship from which the firing incident occurred has not been proceeded against.

The question remains as to whether it is a silly matter for anyone possessing guns or arms on a ship on high seas or low seas to shoot down fishing vessels and they can escape on the plea that these were pirates.

Is it that difficult to identify pirates from fishermen on fishing boats?