KOCHI: Uncertainty still looms large over the possible legal action to be taken against the security personnel on board the Italian merchant vessel, who shot dead two Indian fishermen on Wednesday. “Now, we are not thinking about arresting the Italian crew, as a decision regarding this is yet to be taken at the higher level. We are trying to bring them close to the shore, as it would help further investigation. Through the Italian Consul General, we have requested the captain and the crew of the vessel to help us in completing the legal procedures,” said City Police Commissioner M R Ajith Kumar. Officials of the state police and coastal security agencies have begun efforts to assess possible legal action against the security personnel. It has been decided that the vessel will not be permitted to leave the Indian territorial waters, without a final decision being taken about the legal course of action“The claims made by the Italian Navy personnel onboard the vessel, that they had alerted the coastal security agencies after the incident, need to be verified. Though they claim that there was no violation of the International Maritime Protocol, it is yet to be ascertained. We need to know whether they had fired warning shots when they came across the fishing boats,” coastal security sources said.Meanwhile, the reluctance on the part of the Italian crew in divulging information, has become a roadblock for the investigation into the issue. “They are not ready to reveal more information about the incident. Hence, efforts are on to bring them close to the shore,” said a top police official.
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