Scarlett case in right direction: CBI

The police officials’ statements have corroborated the sequence of events leading to the discovery of the teen’s body on Anjuna beach two years ago on February 18.

However, lawyers defending the two local men –– Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho –– who are being tried for the teenager’s death, said they apprehended that the station diary entry had been subsequently fabricated and some of the constables had been coached by their superiors before his statement was recorded.  

The CBI counsel said the original station diary would be produced in the court. “It is my submission that the witness had been coached by his superior officers before his statement was recorded,” lawyer Ryan Menezes representing D’Souza told the Goa Children’s court.

The defence also pointed out that while Scarlett’s body was found on the beach on February 18, 2008, the statements of some of the policemen were recorded only on March 13, 2008. The CBI recorded their statements in June that year.  

Gurunath Naik, Vishnat Chopdekar, Kishore Kumar Naik and Atmaram Gauns, all constables attached to the Anjuna police at the time, have given their statements so far.

The trial is expected to get more intense later this week when the CBI calls in a local man who alerted the police about the body lying on the beach.