The Supreme Court has granted permission for the 'Enrica Lexie' to leave Indian waters
Agreeing that Italian ship Enrica Lexie is not the “object of crime”, the Supreme Court has allowed the detained vessel to leave Indian waters and continue with its voyage nearly three months after two marines on board allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen, mistaking them for pirates, reports 'The Indian Express'.
A Bench of Justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale passed the order freeing the ship after the vessel’s owners and Italian government assured the court that they would secure the presence of six crew members and four remaining marines as and when required by any Indian court or lawful authority for investigation or trial.
The marines, of course, have the right to contest any such summons before a competent court in India, the court clarified.
The court instructed the vessel owner, the managing directors of the ship and the shipping agents to give written undertakings to the Registrar, Kerala High Court, to this effect. It further directed the ship owner to execute a bond of Rs 3 crore before the Registrar.