Kerala to Italy: Hand over killers
India on Friday said the firing by armed guards on-board an Italian merchant ship killing two Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala, was 'against the laws and norms' and the guilty will be punished.
“We take this issue very seriously. The guilty will have to be punished. We want to send a strong signal. The law will take its course,” defence minister A.K. Antony said. The Kerala police and the Coast Guard were probing the incident, he added.
The two fishermen, native of Alappuzha, were killed on Wednesday night when armed guards on-board the Italian merchant vessel Enrica Lexie opened fire on their fishing boat.
The Kerala police on Friday handed over a letter to the Italian cargo ship captain asking him to hand over the six people who allegedly shot dead the two Indian fishermen.
“We want to question them for more details. The ship and its remaining crew will not be allowed to leave until they furnish all formalities,” said state additional director general of police P. Chandrasekharan.
When asked whether they would be arrested, he did not rule out the possibility, saying that they would treat it like any other murder case.
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