Italian marines will not face death: India

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New Delhi: The government has decided to honour the assurance given to Italy that the two marines will not face death penalty, even though the National Investigation Agency has slapped murder charges against them for killing two Indian fishermen in February last year.
“We will honour whatever assurance given to Italy,” Union home secretary R.K. Singh told reporters on Monday.
Sources said that the central agency will not press for death sentence against the marines — Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone — as per the assurance given by India to Italy even if they are convicted of murder. NIA has submitted an FIR before a Special NIA court booking the marines under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 427 (mischief) along with Section 34 (common intent) of IPC. NIA has also booked them under the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act, 2002, which contains provisions for death penalty.
However, official sources said the charges slapped in the FIR can be dropped when the chargesheet is filed if no substantive evidence is found against the accused. The NIA, sources said, may not press for death penalty at the stage of filing of the chargesheet, also keeping in view the “sovereign assurance” given by the Indian government.
On March 22, after the return of the marines from Italy, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid had pointed out that India has given an assurance that the two will not face death penalty nor will they be liable for arrest if they return by the deadline set by the Supreme Court.