Remand of Italian marines extended

The marines, Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, have been in remand since February 19 when they were arrested and charged with murder of the two fishermen who had put to sea from Kollam.

The marines were brought from Central Prison in the state capital and produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Gopakumar on expiry of the deadline of their judicial custody.

The accused are lodged in a special cell in the central prison. The state government has resisted diplomatic pressure from Italy to have them lodged in a guest house outside the prison and the case tried outside India under international maritime laws.

A special team led by Kochi City Police Commissioner M R Ajith Kumar is investigating the case. It has seized the firearms allegedly used by the marines from the ship and sent them to the Government Forensic Laboratory for ballistic examination and analysis.