Scarlett Case: Mother Writes to PM Modi, Wants Fresh Probe

Panaji: British teenager Scarlett Keeling's mother Fiona Mackeown has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention and a fresh investigation by a special investigation team (SIT) into the death of her daughter in 2008 in Goa.

"The local fishermen informed me (then that) she was murdered by a drug mafia in Goa, but as this drug mafia had strong connections with local police and politicians, it would be pointless for me to approach the criminal justice system," Fiona said in the letter to the PM, which she made public during a press conference on Thursday.

Goa Children's Court had last week acquitted two men who were charged with drugging and leaving Scarlett to die on Anjuna beach on February 18, 2008.

"Up till now, I refused to believe that the local fishermen were right, and placed my trust in the system," Mackeown said.

She also said that she needs to know who killed her daughter, if the two accused are not guilty.

She demanded that the people responsible for the murder of her daughter be identified and prosecuted.

She said in the letter that after eight-and-half years of waiting and trusting the criminal justice system, she finds that the accused stand acquitted due to lack of evidence.

"Those who destroyed the evidence were never charged. Those authorities, who shielded the criminals by providing them enough time to destroy the evidence were never charged," she alleged.

Advocate Vikram Varma, representing Fiona, said they request the PM to intervene and set up an SIT or an equivalent agency to investigate the case again.

Scarlett was found dead on the famous Anjuna beach of Goa on February 18, 2008.

Initially, Goa Police and later the CBI probed the case, which attracted international attention besides raising questions on the safety of women in the tourist destination frequented by foreigners.

Two men — Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho — were charge-sheeted by the CBI in the case. The duo was accused of leaving the girl to die on the beach after drugging and sexually abusing her.

Last Friday, the court acquitted them of all charges, inviting shock and disappointment from Scarlett's family and politicians in Goa.

The Goa Children's Court had also raised serious doubts about the impartiality of the probe in the case.