March 23, 2013
The Kerala Chief Minister says the sessions court at Kollam should be designated as special court and the trial be held there
March 23, 2013
The Kerala Chief Minister says the sessions court at Kollam should be designated as special court and the trial be held there
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday asked the Centre to set up the special court at Kollam district to conduct the trial of the two Italian marines charged with the killing of two fishermen from the State.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chandy demanded that the sessions court at Kollam be designated as special court. He demanded that the trial be held at Kollam itself since the legal proceedings against the marines had been initiated by this court. “The same court may be considered as the special court suggested by the Union Government for holding their trial,” he said.
The marines — Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone — were on board an Italian vessel Enrica Lexie when they allegedly shot dead the two fishermen off the Kerala coast on February 15, 2012.
Substantiating his demand, the Chief Minister said all records and evidence were now with the court at Kollam. The witnesses in the case would find it difficult to travel frequently outside Kerala in the event of the special court being set up in New Delhi or elsewhere. It would also be required to translate the voluminous charge sheet in Malayalam related to the case, which would further delay the trial.
Courtesy: PTI
