Kochi  : The Kochi Police have filed a murder case against the crew of the Italian merchant ship that got involved in a controversy over killing of two Indian fishermen.

 However, despite a case being registered in connection to the incident, the police have not made any arrests so far.

Meanwhile, Union Shipping Minister GK Vasan on Saturday said that the incident was an ‘unfortunate’ one.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has criticised the incident and said that it is a very ‘serious’ issue.

According to reports, the police conducted several rounds of meetings with the captain and crew of the Italian cargo vessel, Enrica Lexie.

The crew of the ship are reportedly not willing to surrender to the Indian officials and are awaiting for conformations from the Italian authorities.

Earlier on Wednesday, security officials of an Italian cargo vessel, Enrica Lexie, allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen mistaking them as pirates in the high seas off Ambalapuzha in Kerala.

The Italian consul general Glampaolo Cutillo and even the captain of the ship on Friday met Kochi police commissioner M R Ajith Kumar.

The Indian officials have said that the security officials of the Italian merchant vessel had shot the Indian fishermen without any sort of provocations.

Italy had explained that the Italian ship had mistaken the fishermen as pirates.

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs has summoned the Italian envoy Giacomo Sanfelice di Monteforte to lodge a strong protest over the incident.

The Italian Ambassador, speaking to reporters in New Delhi after a meeting at India’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that the crew of the ship acted in self-defence after the fishing vessel failed to stop and demanded the crew be released.

The Italian envoy was asked to ensure the crew of the ship cooperate with Indian authorities, a Foreign Ministry official said, adding that a case of murder has been registered against the crew at Neendakara Coastal police station, where surviving fishermen sought help.

The Indian Coast Guard, however, has said that it is within its rights to take action as the incident occurred within the country’s ‘Special Economic Zone’ which extends to a little beyond a thousand kilometers.