Fishermen's families get Rs 10 million; but case against Italian marines to continue

Kochi (Kerala, India), Apr 25 (PTI) In a sudden turn of events, families of the two fishermen allegedly shot dead by marines on board 'Enrica Lexie' ship have reached a compromise with Italian authorities and accepted Rupees 10 million (nearly USD 200,000) compensation but the criminal proceedings against the naval guard marines will continue. Setting the stage for the settlement, the Kerala High court on Tuesday permitted the family members of Valentine Jalastine and Ajesh Binki to withdraw their contentions made against Italy's plea for quashing the police complaint against the marines. Justice P S Gopinathan allowed the petition filed by Jalastine's wife Doramma and sisters of Binki. However, Advocate General K P Dandapani said the legal heirs were not party to the criminal cases pending against the accused marines. The compensation agreement would not affect the case registered by the state, he said. The marines have been charged with murder under the Indian laws for shooting dead the fishermen in February last when they were fishing in a boat off Kerala coast in the Arabian Sea near Kollam. The plea for compensation was filed by Jalastine's wife and two children and two sisters of Binki, who will get Rs 10 million each as legal heirs of the victims. The Italian authorities handed over the Demand Draft for the amount in the High Court's Lok Adalat. Shortly after police lodged the complaint in the case, Italian Consual General Giampaolo Cutillio and the two marines -- Latore Massimilliano and Salvatore Girone -- had approached the High Court seeking to quash the complaint. The legal heirs of the fishermen impleaded themselves in the case opposing the Italian's plea. Later, however, they agreed to settle for the amount offered by the Italian government. In view of this development, counsel for the victims' families informed the court Tuesday they were withdrawing their defence and not pressing for the charges against the marines. The two marines have been lodged in Central prison at Thiruvananthapuram and the ship is anchored off the coast of Kochi for the past two months. With both parties agreeing for a solution, the High court under the Alternate Dispute Resolution System referred the issue to the Lok Adalat, which recorded the compensation agreement. PTI