KOLLAM: Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan de Mistura met the two marines, Latorre Massimilano and Salvatore Girone, at the Police Club here on Saturday. The minister, accompanied by Italian Foreign Ministry officials Giorgio Marrapodi and Minasi Nicola, reached the Police Club at around 5.15 pm and spoke to the marines for around 45 minutes. It is learnt that the Minister, who is staying at a luxury hotel in Thevally, will meet the family of the deceased fishermen Jelestine at the Infant Jesus Cathedral on Sunday. He is likely to attend the Sunday Mass at the Cathedral and meet Kollam Bishop Stanley Roman. The visit has assumed significance as the marines are expected to be send to a Kerala prison, when the police custody and remand period ends on March 5. The Italian authorities had filed a plea before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Kollam, seeking that the marines may be sent to an alternative custody other than central prison. The minister reached the hotel from Kochi at 2.30 pm. He later met assistant vicar of the Infant Jesus Cathedral Fr Rejison Richard at the Infant Jesus Anglo-Indian School, Thangassery. Meanwhile, the visit was kept top secret as the city police were unaware of the visit. Kollam City Commissioner Debesh Kumar Behera said that the Italian authorities had not requested any security from them while the Kollam West Police station had deployed police personnel at the hotel. Special Investigation Team member SP Sam Christy Daniel said that they had sought the permission of the CJM to meet the marines.
Comments
0 comment