Cop who probed Scarlett’s death dismissed

The investigation in this case saw police concluding that Scarlett was dragged, raped and left to die on the beach. She was found dead on Anjuna beach on February 18.

During the initial investigation conducted by Albuquerque who was then attached to Anjuna police station, he had attributed the death due to drowning. It was only after Fiona Mackeown, Scarlett’s mother, smelt a rat in the entire case that a second autopsy was conducted on the girl’s body, which recommended that the death be investigated as a murder.

Post-second autopsy, police had divested Albuqueque of the probe into the case and handed it over to inspector Braz Menezes.

The police investigation finally concluded that Scarlett was dragged, raped and left to die on the beach. Two locals Samson D’souza and Placido Carvalho were arrested for their alleged involvement in the offence.

Scarlett’s death hogged international media attention as Fiona accused Goa Government of shielding the drug trade in the state and suspected the involvement of drug mafia in this case.

Goa police had come under severe criticism for mishandling the probe into Scarlett’s death, after which the state Government decided to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Interestingly, Chief Minister Digamber Kamat had initially refused to hand over the case to CBI lauding the police investigation in it.

Scarlett’s death had brought to light the flourishing drug trade and lack of law and order on Goa’s beaches. The state police, acting tough post-Scarlett death, had initiated a crackdown on the beach forcing the beach shacks to shut down after mid-night.