The two families of fishermen Valentine and Ajeesh Pink, killed in the Italian Enrica Lexie shooting, accepted the `2 crore compensation, by demand draft, from the Italian government here on Tuesday — a relief that came to them without any major hassles.
Before the legal heirs took the money, they handed over a signed document stating they have pardoned the two Italian marines. Doramma, wife of Valentine, and the sisters of Ajeesh Pink, said in their submission, “In the name of Jesus, the inconvenience and sufferings the marines are facing may come to an end at the earliest so that they could be united with their families in Italy at the earliest.”
The Kerala high court approved the out-of-court settlement involving the `2-core compensation, and disposed of the pleas filed by the victims’ families. The shooting took place on February 15 in the sea off the Kerala coast.
A Lok Adalat bench comprising Justice K. John Mathew and former district judge Sreelatha Devi accepted the agreement and asked the victims to spend the amount wisely. Pursuant to this, Justice A.M. Shaffique disposed of the civil suits filed by the fishermen family seeking compensation.
The adalat bench, in its order, pointed out that the settlement would be beneficial to the relatives of the victims.
Doramma, her child Jean and Janet Mary, representing Ajeesh’s sisters, and several priests from Kollam and Kanyakumari, attended the four-hour adalat. After signing the documents, Italian consul generalGiampaolo Cuttillo handed over the demand drafts to the families of the victims.