British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling’s body was found on Anjuna beach on February 18, 2008. It may be recalled that soon after the initial investigation the case of British teenager was transferred to Crime Branch of Goa Police and later after five months it was transferred to CBI by the notification issued by state government.
A shocking revelation was made by CBI counsel Ijaz Khan in Goa Children Court on August 24, 2016, that the Goa government through notification had given only mandate to probe murder angle and not the narcotics connection which was equally established in the entire episode of Scarlett Keeling death case.
The key depositions in the interrogation have not only confirmed the drugs available in the shacks and in particular Louis Shack in Anjuna (North Goa) where teenager was last seen but also has confessed of consuming drugs (cocaine). It has also established that the owner of the Louis Shack and shack itself was a den for drugs. They used to store and sell drugs to the customers with a price.
Out of couple of key witnesses Herald has accessed major three statements made by Michael Manion, alias Mike Masal, who was regular visitor of Louis Shack; Chandru Chauhan who was working as waiter at Louis Shack and Murali Sagar Bolloju who was working at notorious Curlies shack and regular visitor at Luis Shack.
Samson D’Souza, who is one of the accused, was working as barman at the same shack and another accused Placido Carvalho was a regular visitor of the same shack and used to deal in drugs as per the depositions of the witnesses of which statement was recorded by CBI, presently under consideration of court to give verdict on death case.
The waiter Chandru and Mike Masala, in their depositions, have extensively exposed the entire drug nexus at Luis Shack, and even Murli has confirmed the same.
As per statement of Chandru, accused Placido Carvalho, who was locally known as Shana Boy, used to bring a large quantity of cocaine at the Luis Shack. It was then reportedly distributed to Samson (main accused), Luis (owner of Luis shack) and Mahanand (drug dealer).
However, he further revealed that the stack of drugs was buried under the sand in the store room of the shack and covered with cases of soft drinks and water bottles. The waiter has also told CBI that even the workers, including him, were shown the place where the drugs were kept in case of emergency to deliver it to the customers.
Apart from cocaine, the Luis Shack was also dealing in Hash (Hashish/Charas), Ecstacy tablets which were brought in by Luis and Mahanand. Waiter Chandru has revealed everything in his deposition, the minute details of the drugs but he was unable to know the source from where the drugs came. Unfortunately the agency has not touched it due their limitations over investigation and Goa Police remain silent despite coming it on record.
Chandru has even had said that there was free selling of drugs on the Christmas and New year parties at Luis Shack. He has even mentioned that the payment was made at the counter along with the bills. Some of the foreign tourists were even making the payment fortnightly and weekly.
Another key witness British national Mannion Masala, who was locally known as Mike Masal in Anjuna, was residing with the main accused Samson D’Souza. The 2008 tourist season was not the first time Mike had come to Goa but he was visiting this state since 1996 but he was never seen again after Scarlett’s death.
Though he has refused to depose in court but the statement which was recorded by CBI is on record. He too mentioned of narcotics at Luis Shack and the other players in the trade including Luis, Samson, Placido and Murli.
He has confirmed that everyone who at Luis Shack, prior to the death of British teenager Scarlett, were sniffing cocaine, including the deceased and the accused duo. Masala has deposed that he was also consuming hash at Luis Shack and at the fateful night he has seen all Samson, Placido, Murli and deceased consuming cocaine.
The third prime witness, who has put light on the drugs nexus, was Murli Sagar Bolloju who was working at Curlies Shack and was having good contacts with both the accused and used to sniff cocaine with them after the shack is closed late in the night.
He has even said in his statement before the investigation agency that he has seen Placido, Samson sniffing drugs along with deceased teenager.
The entire drug nexus of the state beaches is almost exposed after this case in 2008 but none of the law enforcing agencies have tried to further probe the narcotic nexus.
The cocaine content was also established in the thorough medical report of the deceased.
In the charge-sheet also the federal agency has mentioned most of the things revealed about narcotics before the court as revealed by the witnesses.
MAIN ARGUMENTS IN COURT DEFENCE AS WELL AS CBI COUNSEL
Almost eight years after bruised body of British teenager Scarlett Keeling was found on Anjuna’s shore, Goa Children’s Court will pronounce its verdict on September 23 where two locals have been tried for drugging, sexually abusing and leaving girl to die on the beach. CBI’s Special Public Prosecutor (SSP) Ijaz Khan banked his arguments on the ‘last-seen-theory’ wherein Scarlett was seen with Samson, three hours before her corpse was found on the shore. “The accused (Samson) in his statement has not revealed what has happened during the three hours after he was last seen with the girl. On the other hand, the accused is trying to deny his presence at the scene,” he had pointed out.
Khan told court that the girl was administered drugs in the shack where Samson was working and Placido was present on the fateful day.
“Both the accused should be punished. One committed the offence, and other did help him by hiding it,” the SPP had argued. SSP completely demolished the theory that influence played a major role in the investigation claiming that normal people like a barman cannot pressurise CBI which is a national agency with repute.
Defence lawyer Mervin D’Souza defending Samson said his client was being targeted as he was defenceless. During the arguments, he ruled out the involvement of the accused in the crime and alleged that there was large scale interference in the investigation which is evident from the discrepancies in the statement of the witnesses. “The death of the girl (Scarlett) was accidental. There was interference in the investigation of the case so as to target Samson and second accused Placido,” D’Souza has told the court.
He has also pointed out that in the autopsy, morphine drugs were also found along with cocaine in the body of the girl which indicates that she was already intoxicated when she arrived on the shack where Samson was working and Placido was sitting.
D’Souza submitted that the investigating agencies (Goa police and CBI) was purposely blind to the fact that she was already drugged and failed to probe into as who had administered her the narcotics.
He argued that the detailed forensic examination by experts from Delhi based All India Institute of Medical Sciences had proved that there was no abnormality in her brain, skull, vagina and heart of the deceased girl which proves that there was no scuffle by her during her death.
D’Souza made a claim that the medical examination on the body are conclusively proving that there was no abnormality in her body, which means that it was accidental death.
The Defence Lawyer even pointed out that the girl’s lifestyle was not like a normal child in India. But the judge interrupted the lawyer claiming that this aspect (about lifestyle) has nothing to do with the current case.
Advocate Pravin Naik representing Placido Carvalho, second accused in the case, argued that there was no witness on record to state that his client administered drugs to the girl in the shack where she was last seen before her death. He had mentioned that there is nothing on record to prove that Placido provoked her to take drugs.
