The High Court in the southern Indian state of Kerala Thursday permitted two Italian marines, facing murder charges for killing two Indian fishermen off the country's southwestern coast earlier this year, to go home to celebrate Christmas for two weeks.

The court, however, asked for an additional bail amount of 60 million Indian rupees (1.1 million U.S. dollars) as security apart from a guarantee from Italy's diplomatic representation in India as a couple of pre-conditions for the two marines, Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone, to leave this country.

The High Court granted them their plea to leave India for Italy despite prosecution protesting against the move, saying the marines may not come back to India to face trial.

The two marines were arrested by Indian authorities in February this year for killing two Indian fishermen by firing from an Italian cargo vessel after allegedly mistaking them for pirates. The duo were granted bail in May this year but were directed not to leave the city of Kochi where they are currently putting up at a hotel.

In April, Italy paid 10 million Indian rupees (189,000 U.S. dollars) as compensation to each of the families of the two Indian fishermen. The families dropped civil suit but the Kerala government refused to drop murder charges against the two marines.

The issue has triggered a diplomatic row between India and Italy. While Italy insists that the accused should be tried in international court as the incident happened in international waters, but India claims that the killing took place in its territorial waters.