Money made you forget everything: HC to kin

Piqued by the withdrawal by kin of the fishermen killed in firing from Italian ship Enrica Lexie and boat-owner and main witness in the case, Freddy, from the cases they themselves had initiated after accepting compensation from Italy, the Kerala High Court on Friday unleashed scathing criticism against them, saying that they forgot everything at the sight of money.

While considering an application for withdrawing the affidavits they had filed in the High Court against Italy’s plea for cancellation of the FIR against its two Marines, Justice PS Gopinathan said in the open court that he should have imposed a huge fine on them for wasting the precious time of the Judiciary.

Quoting a Malayalam saying that roughly meant “getting spellbound at the sight of the White Saheb”, the judge observed that the fishermen’s relatives forgot everything when they saw the money. The two fishermen’s legal heirs had on Tuesday signed an agreement with Italy to withdraw all cases against the accused marines for a compensation of Rs 1 crore each.

“The court had discouraged you when you came here to implead in the case but you were determined to get involved. Now you have gone back on it,” Justice Gopinathan said. He said such tendencies were not appropriate in criminal cases. The court is expected to pass its order on the applications next week.

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