File pic: Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone
The Supreme Court will on Monday consider whether to free two Italian marines accused of murdering fishermen in Kerala on account of a huge delay in their trial.
The Italian government has appealed to the court to order the Indian government to release the marines, who were first arrested in February 2012, triggering a high-profile diplomatic dispute.
The marines say they shot two fishermen off the Kerala coast because they mistook them for pirates; the naval officers were serving as security guards on an Italian oil tanker.
In an interview to NDTV earlier today, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said the delay in charge-sheeting the marines was "embarrassing". "When they say it's been two years and they haven't even been charge-sheeted yet, I feel embarrassed but it's the complexity of our system that we can't put them through a quick trial," he said.
Italy first argued that the pair should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters. India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction.
In December 2012, the marines were allowed by the Supreme Court to travel home to vote in the national election; Italy in a shock move said they would not return to stand trial.
Eventually, Italy succumbed and the marines - Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone - returned to Delhi. They stay at the embassy and report to a local police station once a week.
Delhi has promised that they will not face the death penalty if convicted.