Italian Marines case: Unlike other murder accused, marines enjoy access to Internet, phones

Adjoining the embassy in Chanakyapuri is the Italian cultural centre which has a cafe run by celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia.

(PTI)

Much noise has been made by the Italian government about the “plight” of its two marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre, who have been “incarcerated” in India, awaiting trial over the killing of two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in February 2012. Earlier this week, Italy said it was considering “international arbitration”.

However, unlike other murder accused, Girone and Latorre are not really “incarcerated” or cut off from their families and the rest of the world. They live in cottages in the compound of the Italian embassy, in the heart of Delhi’s diplomatic enclave. They are free to move within the city, enjoy access to phones and Internet, and are hosted by expats in their free time.

While their families visit them occasionally, they chat with them regularly via Skype. One of them, Latorre, even got engaged to his companion Paola Moschetti in September last year. They had a small ceremony in the embassy complex, attended by their families and diplomats. Paola and Girone’s wife, Vania, visited the duo in February this year.

Story continues below this ad

Adjoining the embassy in Chanakyapuri is the Italian cultural centre which has a cafe run by celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia. The two marines are known to frequent this cafe. “They go to a gym in the neighbourhood almost everyday,” said a police source, adding that they also go to a local church every Sunday.

During the week, the marines work in the embassy’s defence section. While they spend most of their time within the embassy compound, they go out sometimes but try to avoid public spaces. Once a week, they have to report to the Chanakyapuri police station.

Besides their family and friends, the duo get phone calls from none other than their prime minister — one of the first phone calls made by the new Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in February this year was to Girone and Latorre, in which he expressed his government’s commitment to bring them back — and get visits from Italian MPs.

The expatriate Italian community hosts them during festive occasions or weekends. They also receive invitations from some European families sometimes.

Story continues below this ad

On Friday, Italy’s Liberation Day, Girone, who tweets under the handle @GironeSalvatore, posted, “Happy April 25th! A special hug to all the marines, with the hope that our Liberation can happen soon”.

Latorre, who is quite regular on Facebook, thanked a group of motorcycle riders who took out a rally with the slogan, “Free riders for free sailors”. “Sincere best wishes to all Italians. Allow me then to greet and be able to express my most sincere wishes to all Italians…”

Sources said the marines, who have access to the library at the Italian cultural institute, regularly scan all Indian publications to get information on their case.

Shubhajit Roy

Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram