SC relaxes Italian marine Girone’s bail conditions to facilitate his return

New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday allowed relaxation of bail conditions of Italian marine Salvatore Girone, which would enable him to return to Italy.

Earlier on May 2, the UN’s Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague recommended relaxation of bail conditions of Girone, one of the two marines facing murder charges for killing two Indian fishermen.

The apex court agreed to relax the terms on Girone’s plea, but, in-turn imposed several conditions that the latter must adhere to.

“Since he’ll remain under jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, it was decided that he can go.Conditions are that – he will surrender his passport once in Italy, will report to police station every month and the report will be handed to the Indian Embassy,” Girone’s lawyer Suhail Dutt told media persons here.

Girone and another Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre are facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast.

The UN Arbitral Tribunal’s order clearly recognises the fact that “Girone is under India’s authority alone” and that the “Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction” over him.

The order had asked India and Italy to approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of the bail conditions.

Italy had earlier in March asked the PCA to order India to release Girone, saying the latter, otherwise, risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to “grave violation of his human rights”.

The Supreme Court, which was handling this case, suspended the court proceedings relating to the trial of two marines in August 2015 following an order to this effect by International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) which was approached by Italy for international arbitration. (ANI)