The two Italian soldiers who killed two Indian fishermen from an oil tanker last week were sent to three days of police custody Monday by an Indian judge in the southern city of Kochi of the state of Kerala, said local TV channel Times Now.

The Naval Guards of the Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie, Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone, appeared before an Indian judge in the latter's house as the court was closed Monday.

A First Information Report or criminal charge has been made against the two men by Indian police.

Local TV footage showed angry Indian protesters waving fists calling for punishment of the two Italian soldiers as they left the judge's house and entered police vehicles along with Italian Consul General in Mumbai Giampaolo Cutillo.

A diplomatic war has broken out between India and Italy as Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said in Rome that there exist considerable differences with India over the fishermen's killing.

India has said the Italian guards killed the fishermen last Wednesday without warning after mistaking them as pirates, 14 nautical miles from the shore of Indian state Kerala.

However, Italy says the guards opened fire after repeatedly warning the fishermen in the international waters.