New Delhi:
After reneging on a commitment that two Italian marines facing murder charges in India would return to face trial after a four-week trip home, sources in the Italian government said, "Italy did everything we could to find an acceptable solution to such case, within the framework of our strong and friendly relations with India, and we will continue to do so."
They pointed out that the navy officers - Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone are also facing legal proceedings in a court in Rome for the shooting of two fishermen off the Kerala coast in February.
Last month, the Indian Supreme Court allowed the marines to travel home for four weeks to vote in the national election. The Italian envoy, Daniele Mancini, furnished a written guarantee that they would come back on schedule. India is considering expelling him since the Italian government conveyed on Monday that the marines will not travel back to Delhi.
Italy says that its decision comes after a letter asking India to engage in diplomatic negotiations was ignored a week ago. It has also repeatedly said that India does not have jurisdiction over the case because the fishermen were shot in international waters, a contention India disagrees with.
The marines were guarding an Italian tanker; they say they mistook the fishermen for pirates.