PANJIM: Samson D’Souza, the main accused in the infamous Scarlett Keeling sexual assault and murder case, has been convicted by the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The co-accused in the case, Placido Carvalho, has been acquitted of all the charges in the case.
D’Souza was found guilty under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 328 for administering drugs, 354 for outraging modesty, 304 (2) culpable homicide not amounting to murder, 201 for destroying evidence and Section 8(2) of Goa Children’s Act for sexual assault of a minor.
The sentencing will be on Friday. The High Court has given D’Souza an opportunity to be heard on the point of sentence and the matter has been fixed for Friday morning.
The co-accused Carvalho has been acquitted of all the charges. He was accused under Sections 328 and 109 of the IPC and Section 8 of the Goa Children’s Act.
The body of British teenager Scarlett Keeling was found under mysterious circumstances at Anjuna beach in the wee hours of February 18, 2008. Scarlett’s mother Fiona Mackeown had alleged that her daughter was drugged, raped and murdered.
During the investigation, CBI had charged D’Souza and Carvalho with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
After years of trial, the Children’s Court at Panjim on September 23, 2016 had acquitted D’Souza and
Carvalho of all the charges. Subsequently, CBI had filed an appeal before the High Court challenging the verdict of the Children’s Court.
On Wednesday, Justice RD Dhanuka passed the judgment and Justice Prithviraj Chavan dictated the judgment in the absence of the former.
Counsel for Scarlett’s mother Fiona, Vikram Verma said, “The incident has weighed heavy on her heart for last 11 years and judgment will lift the weight substantially today. It will be lifted when she hears the sentence later this week.”
