Scarlett Keeling murder case: Samson Dsouza sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment

Panaji, July 19: The Bombay High Court's Goa bench on Friday sentenced Samson Dsouza, whose acquittal in the British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling murder case by the trial court was overturned, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho were accused of leaving her to die after drugging and sexually abusing her in February 2008. The Goa Children's Court had acquitted both last year, but the Bombay High Court's Goa bench on Wednesday overturned D'Souza's acquittal and convicted him.

The high court, however, upheld the acquittal of Placido Carvalho.

Scarlett was found dead with bruises on her body at Anjuna beach in Goa on February 18, 2008. Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, were accused

The Goa Children's Court's acquittal, was then challenged. On appeal, the high court convicted D'Souza under IPC sections 328 (for administrating drugs), 354 (outraging woman's modesty), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting murder), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and for child abuse under section 8(2) of the Goa Children's Act.

The high court, however, upheld the acquittal of Placido Carvalho. The case, initially investigated by Goa Police, was handed over to the CBI by the state government after Scarlett's mother, Fiona Mackeown, raised doubts about the investigations.