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Scarlett's mother feels let down by CBI

Last Updated 22 October 2009, 16:52 IST

In the supplementary chargesheet filed before the Goa Childrens Court on Wednesday, the CBI reduced the Goa police’ murder and rape charges against the prime accused Samson DSouza and Placido Carvalho to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, outraging her modesty and supplying the teenager with drugs.
Fiona told the British media she had been floored by the CBI decision.

Charges diluted
Her India-based lawyer Vikram Varma told Deccan Herald that Fiona felt she had been let down by the country’s prime investigative agency and the two men might now get away lightly.

Not only have the charges been diluted, the CBI is also completely silent on the aspect of a cover-up in the initial investigations by the Goa police. Nobody will be held accountable for the failure of the system.

A disappointed Varma said the CBI chargesheet appeared to have been down-toned under pressure and this would only liberally assist the criminals.
A senior CBI official involved in the investigations said the chargesheet had been filed purely on the basis of the evidence. We have been completely dispassionate in the matter, there has been no pressure.

CBI denial
The evidence has to be sustained for a conviction, he said, an opinion shared by a CBI legal counsel.
The case was handed to the CBI in June last year after suspicions of utter mishandling by the Goa police.

Scarlett’s body was found on February 18. Fiona who was at Gokarna with her partner and the rest of her family arrived here two days later to discover the police had not even recovered her daughter’s clothes from the beach as part of the evidence.
The CBI examined 200 witnesses and reconstructed Luis Shack on Anjuna beach for a replay of events the night Scarlett died.
Varma said Fiona might consider filing an intervention application in the case because she is being denied justice.

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(Published 22 October 2009, 16:52 IST)

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