DEAD BUT NOT BURIED
YEAR 1
February 18, 2009
It was one year since Scarlet died and the case was still hopping between different sections of Goa Police. The tale of desperate attempts to destroy evidence and change in investigating officers loomed large over this sensational case that could have unmasked the drug lobby in the state.
If not for a pair of chappals and undergarment that was left behind little away from Anjuna’s high tide line, the case would never have been so much controversial.
A year ago her mother had undergarment and pair of chappals, behind the bushes at Luis Shack which raised the suspicion that there was some activity preceding the death. The mother walked with evidence to Calangute Police Station where Police Sub Inspector Nerlon Albuquerque did not heed to her requests.
It was only thereafter that the case was full blown into controversy with the Indian lawyer Vikram Varma coming to the rescue of British mother. The investigation was of the case was shoddy because police did not bother to collect proper evidences. There were also attempts to push the case under mat so that image of tourist friendly Goa police is not shattered.
Exposure of her diaries and subsequent claims of she being sex addict and drug addict was used to let the alleged accused go scot-free.
Police threw rule book to the wind and there was all possible attempts to hide things from the media.
But what happened at the end is actually a saga of shame for khakhi. During the first year of investigation two locals – Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho are arrested for drugging, raping and leaving the teenager to die on the beach.
Year 2
February 18, 2010
Two years had passed and the trial was yet to begin in the case. The case was handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which still working on the tattered pieces of evidences collected by Goa Police.
The superficial investigation and the time gap had stalled the case. CBI officials got close to filing the chargesheet, but the real issue of drug trade flourishing on the coastal belt had been left untouched.
Her body was dispatched to UK after conducting two postmortems. Indian authorities went to the extend of holding back her organs. The British government castigated the government included the Chief Secretary.
All eyes were on the chargesheet and trial, which would begin in Goa Children’s Court. Two accused were already out on the bail.
The police had already filed a provisional chargesheet. The CBI had to work to work based on this provisional chargesheet.
February 18, 2011
Three years have passed. The chargesheet has been filed. The CBI is investigating authority and counsel representing CBI has quit the assignment sighting inordinate delay in the trial.
S R Rivonkar, a lawyer, who represented the central agency till 15 witnesses were examined now feels that there has been frequent change in the judges and also there are obstructions from the defence counsel. Rivonkar had predicted that the trial in the case would be end by December 2010 but things did not work out. The dragging of the case forced Rivonkar to quit.
Back in UK, the coroner is still working on Scarlet’s corpse. Fiona has claimed that the coroner has told her that he is having evidences which are more and even contradictory to what CBI has presented in the Court.
The trial has reached a stage where all the policemen who saw Scarlet’s corpse on the beach, Fiona and crucial witness Murli Sagar stands testified. The cross examination has also happened.
Curlie’s, a shack which shot in news after her death, still remains a hotspot and was even featured in a cover story of a national news magazine as a regular place to pick up drugs.
