Italy issues India travel warning as tensions grow Italy says the men should be tried in its courts and that the incident does not come under Indian jurisdiction, but India has accused it of flouting diplomatic norms by breaking its promise to return the marines. The row erupted last week amid continuing tensions between the two countries over allegations that Finmeccanica, one of Italy's biggest companies, paid bribes to win a lucrative Indian defence contract. Its middlemen allegedly paid bribes to relatives of India's former air chief for a contract to supply British-made Agusta Westland helicopters to the Indian defence forces. Now its officials are bracing themselves for a backlash and fear its citizens in India could be targeted. It warned them to be extremely cautious and avoid public demonstrations, particularly in Kerala, the closest state to where the fishermen were killed. Italians should "maintain an alert and cautious attitude and to stay away from any public meetings," its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.