Conning or connivance, killer marines are to remain in Italy for good: report

Amidst conflicting reports of conning by the Italian authorities and connivance of the Indian government, The Times Now news channel had on Tuesday reported that India and Italy had already signed an affidavit to the effect that the killer marines would be allowed to go back to Italy even if they were convicted.

The channel said it has access to the affidavit, which was signed by both the Italian and Indian governments.

The report comes amidst protests by the media and the government over the Italian government's conning of the Indian Supreme Court by telling that there was no provision for them to cast their votes in India and that they have to be physically present in Italy – which is not the case with its embassy staff in India.

An information docket released by the Italian Interior Ministry says citizens living abroad, either temporarily or long-term, can vote from where they are if they follow certain rules, according to Times Now.

Italy had made it clear that the two marines charged with killing two fishermen off the Kerala coast will not return from a special home visit granted by the Supreme Court to allow them to vote in last month's general election.

Italy, which has been holding on to the theory that the incident occurred beyond 12 nautical miles from the Indian coast and that the marines have all the right to shoot and kill whomsoever it apprehends as threat to their ship.