NEW DELHI (dpa): Indian police on Sunday seized guns and documents from the Italian oil tanker whose guards allegedly shot two Indian fishermen after suspecting they were pirates, media reports said. Two marines posted as guards on the Enrica Lexie were arrested after the incident on February 15 off the coast of the southern Indian state of Kerala. A special investigation team of Kerala Police seized four boxes of material which included eight guns and documents after a search that began Saturday, IANS news agency reported. The police and Indian forensic specialists searched the ship in the presence of a team of Italian experts. “The search and seizure operation is now over and we have got what we needed,” MR Ajith Kumar who is heading the police's special investigation team was quoted as saying. The shooting incident has turned into a diplomatic row between India and Italy, with India insisting the two marines should be tried under Indian law. Italy maintains the incident occurred in international waters and was outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. India's Defence Minister AK Antony has said that the investigation into the case was progressing in the right direction. “The case will proceed under Indian law. Judiciary in the country is independent,” the minister, who comes from Kerala, was quoted as saying by NDTV news channel. The marines – Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone – have been charged with murder and if found guilty could face life sentences. Their case is being heard by a court in Kollum town, about 150 km north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala High Court is hearing a separate petition by the counsel for the Italians requesting the Kollum case be quashed as the incident took place in international waters. The date for the next hearing of both cases is Tuesday, when Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant'Agata is scheduled to arrive in India on a two-day visit. The issue of the Italian marines is expected to come up in his talks with Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna. While Agata's visit was scheduled before the shooting incident, Italy's deputy foreign minister Staffan de Mistura has been in India since February 18 to try and secure the release of the marines. BM with Sunrita Sen ShortURL: http://goo.gl/v75Og Tags: India, Italy, Oil Tanker, Pirates Section: Latest News, South Asia
