Fiona to approach HC for CBI probe

Panaji, Mar 23 (UNI) Beleaguered Fiona Mackeown, mother of slain British teenager Scarlette Eden Keeling, plans to file a writ petition in the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking a directive to the Government for ordering a CBI probe into the entire episode.

Informed sources told UNI that she has also decided to take the body of her daughter to her native place in Britain for cremation before the expiry of her visa early next month as she got clearance from the local police to this effect.

Fiona has decided not to yield but fight through the portals of the High Court for ''justice''. She will also seek a directive to the Goa Police to not to interfere with the investigation of the case, besides asking the CBI to probe the police-drug cartel nexus angle.

The latest post-mortem report based on the chemical analysis of the viscera confirmed that it is a murder case and not one of overdrugging, further strengthening Fiona's determination to fight against the establishment, even as Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat rejected her demand for a CBI probe.

Meanwhile, a war is hotting up between the police and the doctors' team that conducted the post-mortem with ''selective leakage'' of the reports to the media much before sending them to the concerned investigation officer.

The state administration is poised to launch an inquiry into the conduct of Dr Silvano Sapeco, head of the forensic science department of the Goa Medical College and Hospital, for his ''oft changing statements and observations'' after conducting two autopsies on the body of Keeling.

Police also wondered how Dr Sapeco was curious to meet the media and provided the latter with the post-mortem reports instead of sending them first to the concerned investigating officer.

Things took a bad turn with the three doctors, who conducted the autopsy, complaining to Chief Secretary J P Singh recently alleging police coercion and non-cooperation in the case from the beginning.

At the same time, police higher-ups also plan to bring to the notice of the Chief Secretary various ''lapses'' of Dr Sapeco since the beginning of the case.

''We based our investigations on the basis of his observations and reports, which he kept on changing from time to time,'' a senior police officer commented.

Meanwhile, police has sent the victim's boyfriend, Julio Lobo, who was booked under the Goa Children's Act for crime against the minor girl, for medical examination to verify whether he had sex with her or not.

Police had arrested two youth, a bartender Samson D'Souza attached with the infamous shack at Anjuna beach in North Goa near which Keeling's semi-clad body was found on February 18, and suspected drug peddler Cavelho.

Police hitherto maintained that the former allegedly drugged and raped her before dumping her in shallow sea water to die and the latter provided them with drugs including marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy, besides alcohol in the shack that fateful night.

Compatriot Michael Mannion, who was a direct witness to the episode, has already deposed evidence before the investigating officer after police issued a ''look out notice'' and assured him of all security.

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