Rape established in Scarlett case

In Goa, the first arrest has been made in connection with the alleged rape and murder of British teenager Scarlett Keeling.

Samsung D'souza, one of the men seen with Scarlett shortly before she died, was arrested.

However, he was not charged with murder but with rape. Three other men have been questioned on Sunday.

The police had earlier dismissed her death as a case of drowning, but have swiftly moved into action after the second autopsy report mentioned that Keeling could have been murdered.

A murder case was registered early on Sunday morning.

One of the three detained men was a man called Shanaboy, is known in local and police circles as a drug dealer.

According to the police, some of these men including Samsung were seen trying to sexually abuse Scarlett, near the shore just before she died.

Even MLAs of the area are now certain about the drug angle.

Agnello Fernandes, Calungute MLA said, ''According to locals, there is a drug angle. Scarlett did consume drugs.''

NDTV learnt that immediately after Keeling's death, the Anjuna police had interrogated Shanaboy and had recorded his statement.

However, the drug angle was deliberately kept out of the investigations at that stage.

The mystery behind Scarlett's death gives rise to two questions - one, why didn't the doctor who conducted the first autopsy mention that she could have been murdered?

Second, Why didn't the police mention the drug angle when they had earlier interrogated people involved in the drug trade?

Scarlett's mother Fiona Mackowen is for the first time relieved with the way investigations are moving.

News Source : Samachar