Italian marines case leads to India-Italy face off

New Delhi/Rome, Feb 17:

on Tuesday recalled its envoy to

, Daniele Mancini, back to Italy, to protest delay in

case.

According to reports, Italian foreign minister Emma Bonino has hit out at India by saying, "We are face with unreliable behaviour of Indian authorities" while adding that "there is no justice in this case, India is incapable of taking action in this case."

"Mancini will return to Italy immediately for consultations", the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Italy's face-off with India came after the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the central government to categorically spell out its stand about the law under which to try the two Italian marines- Massimilliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone , accused of killing two Indian fishermen.

India is incapable of taking action in this case: Italy

The next hearing in this connection will take place on February 24.

Two days before, Italy had regretted that the case of two of its marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen was not resolved within "three days of the incident", before the issue became enmeshed in India's "deadly judicial and political-electoral gears".

"The most suitable time to resolve it were the first 72 hours," said Staffan de Mistura, special envoy of the Italian government.

"No one could have imagined, on February 15, 2012, that this unheard-of affair involving two marines would be protracted for two long years," Foreign Under-Secretary Mistura said.

Latorre and Girone have been held in India since February 2012 when they allegedly killed two Indian fishermen off the coast of the south Indian state of Kerala, mistaking them for pirates.

The marines were the security personnel on an Italian oil tanker crossing the Indian Ocean.

India claims jurisdiction in the case while Italy alleges the incident took place in international waters and the marines should be tried in their home country.

OneIndia News