In a dramatic turn of events, families of Italian marines, who allegedly shot two Indian fishermen have agreed to pay victims’ families a sum of Rs one crore each as compensation.

According to the reports, the Italian families signed deal with victims’ kin to pay an amount of Rs one crore to each of the families of the two dead fishermen.

Following the deal, the victims’ relatives, who were initially demanding maximum punishment for Italian marines, said that they would not pursue any case against them. “We pardon our ‘Italian brothers’, said the families of the victims.

It is to be seen if the government’s criminal case against the two marines will be affected by the settlement or continue in the courts.

The two Marines had allegedly mistaken Indian fishermen Ajesh Binki, aged 25, and Gelastine, aged 45, as sea pirates and shot them dead on February 15, off Alappuzha in Kerala.

Latorre and Girone have been in judicial custody since February 20 and are currently lodged at the Thiruvananthapuram Central Prison.

In the mean time, the Italian government moved the Supreme Court to secure custody of its two marines arrested in Kerala for the alleged killing of two Indian fishermen.

In its petition the Italian government told the court that the Kerala state government had no jurisdiction to detain the ship as the incident took place outside Indian territorial waters.