Scarlett's mother goes into hiding in Goa

London, Mar 24: Fiona MacKeown, the mother of the British girl Scarlett Keeling who was found dead on a Goa beach last month, has gone into hiding, saying she feared for her safety in the Indian state.

Fiona had earlier severely criticised Goa's politicians, police and the drug mafia, alleging they were involved in cover up in her daughter's death. iona (43) said she wanted court protection after "stirring up a hornet's nest" in Goa by accusing the state machinery of faulty investigation. Scarlett's battered body was found semi-naked in the beach resort of Anjuna on Feb 19. While one theory suggests that she had been raped before she was killed, indications are also enough that the girl died of a heavy drug dose.

Fiona, who was accused of negligence after leaving Scarlett with friends at the time of the murder, has repeatedly criticised the police investigation. She said both she and her lawyer had been warned that she might be in danger.

"We've been warned by a lot of locals to be careful. We've been stirring up a big hornet's nest here. The drug people are not going to be very happy with me. We're going to apply to the High Court to take over the case. I think it's appalling the way it's been handled," The Telegraph quoted her as saying.

Her lawyer Vikram Varma said he was preparing a request for protection for Miss MacKeown in Goa High Court this week and would ask for the case to be handed over to federal detectives.

Miss MacKeown said she was "shocked but not surprised" at the findings: "I'm just horrified that the police are still covering up my daughter's death. Who are they covering for? It must be someone very important."

ANI