Samson D'Souza gets bail in Scarlet murder case

Panaji, Sep 23: On Tuesday, Sep 23 the Goa Children's court granted conditional bail to Samson D'Souza, the main accused in the British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling murder case. Samson, along with another accused Placido Carvalho, was arrested by local police for drugging, raping and leaving Scarlette to die on Goa's Anjuna beach on February 18 this year.

The case was later handed over to CBI, which initiated a fresh probe into the case though the Goa police had chargesheeted both the accused. The court, while granting bail, said there is nothing to indicate that Samson was responsible for Scarlette's death. Samson D'Souza, a bar tender working at a shack where Scarlette visited little before her death, was alleged to have found lying on her by prime witness Michael Mannion.

Mannion, a British national who was held back in the state after look out notice was issued against him, had stated that he had seen Samson lying on Scarlette behind the shack. The court also took into consideration the forensic report of Scarlette which had ruled out Samson having sexual intercourse with her.

"Other than accused last seen with Scarlette prior to her death, there is no other material bringing out his role in her rape or death," the court order said.

Granting the bail, the court agreed that beyond mere suspicion of involvement of the accused, the prosecution has not collected any material linking him to the crime.

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