Two Italian marines charged with murder in the shooting deaths of two fishermen off the coast of Kerala were given permission Friday to go home to vote, a lawyer representing them said.
The Supreme Court allowed Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone to go to Italy for four weeks, the lawyer said. General elections there are scheduled Sunday and Monday.
The court noted in making its ruling that under Italian law, the marines were not allowed to vote by post, the Indian Express newspaper reported.
This visit would be the second to Italy by the marines since their arrest a year ago. They also went home for two weeks for Christmas.
The Italian government promised the defendants would return to India after the elections.
The Supreme Court also pulled up the government for failing to set up a special tribunal to try the marines as it had ordered on January 18.
The marines, deployed on the Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie, allegedly shot the Indian fishermen on February 15, 2012, after apparently mistaking them for pirates.
The incident led to a diplomatic row between India and Italy, which claimed the incident took place in international waters and the case fell outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts.
The marines were arrested soon after the incident and released on strict bail conditions after a little more than three months in detention. They are currently staying in New Delhi.
They face life sentences if found guilty.