NEW DELHI: Italy has recalled its envoy from New Delhi and has expressed “strong displeasure” at the Indian government's inability to hand over two arrested marines, accused of murder, to Italian custody. Italian deputy foreign minister, Staffan de Mistura, said that the decision to recall the Italian ambassador from India, was a sign by Italy of its “profound displeasure” of how the Indian establishment handled the scenario, after two Italian marines, posted on board an Italian vessel shot down two Indian fishermen, from the southern Indian state of Kerala. Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, the Italian marines who were on board the Italian ship ‘Enrica Lexie' have been lodged in an Indian prison for three months now and have been charged under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 427 (causing damage or loss) of the Indian Penal Code and 34 (acting in common intention) and the Indian Criminal Procedure Code. The duo has claimed that the reason they opened fire on the Indian fishermen because they thought they were sea-pirates. The accusation of premeditated murder levied by the Indian authorities has been described by De Mistura said as “absurd”. The decision to recall the ambassador from India was taken even as Italy tried several diplomatic measures including telephonic conversations between prime ministers of both countries namely Italy's Mario Monti and India's Dr Manmohan Singh. Italy has maintained that since the shooting occurred in the international waters, Rome should have tried the marines, which the official position of the Indian government is that it cannot interfere with in the jurisdiction of Indian courts and the judicial process.
