British girl Scarlette's body to be brought to Mumbai today

Panaji, Mar 27 : The body of the British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling who was found dead at Goa's popular Anjuna Beach will be brought to Mumbai today.

Scarlette Keeling's body has remained in police custody since her death on February 18.

Family lawyer Vikram Verma said the police would hand over the body to the teenager's mother Fiona MacKeown and it would be taken to London for burial later this week. "We have all the required permissions," said Verma.

MacKeown decided to take her daughter's body for burial in Devon, southwest England, after the Goa government accepted her demand to hand over the the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

MacKeown, who has accused the Goa police of shielding politicians and drug dealers during the investigation of her daughter's death, hopes to return to India to pursue the case.

"If she is allowed by the home ministry, then she would like to come back and continue her fight for justice," said Verma.

Goa Police initially had insisted that Scarlette died due to accidental drowning and later re-investigated the case after second autopsy was conducted following persistent appeals from her mother who suspected foul play.

Earlier this month, the police arrested Samson D'Souza, a bartender and a drug dealer Placido Carvalho, for drugging, raping and leaving Scarlette to die on the shallow beach water.

ANI