19 July,2019 05:53 PM IST | | mid-day online desk
Scarlett Keeling
On Friday, the Bombay High Court's Goa bench awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment to the sole convict in Scarlett Keeling murder case. The sole convict, Samson D'souza was found guilty on all charges. D'Souza has been found guilty of culpable homicide, drugging and sexually assaulting British teenager Scarlett Keeling at Anjuna beach in Goa in February 2008.
The Bombay High Court's Goa bench comprising of Justices R D Dhanuka and Prithviraj Chavan convicted D'Souza under sections 328, 354, 304 (ii), 201 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 8(II) of the Goa Children's Act.
Also Read: Scarlett Keeling murder: Not happy with Mannion, he is a coward, says Fiona
Last year, the Goa Children's Court had acquitted both Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, but on appeal, the high court on Wednesday convicted D'Souza under IPC sections 328 (for administrating drugs), 354 (outraging woman's modesty), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and for child abuse under section 8(2) of the Goa Children's Act. On the other hand, Carvalho's acquittal was upheld.
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In 2008, a half-clad body of a 15-year-old Scarlett from North Devon, UK, was found at Anjuna beach, Goa. Initially, the Anjuna Police had tried to cover up the matter by showing it as a drowning case but the second autopsy confirmed rape and death due to a drug overdose.
Also Read: Scarlett Keeling murder: One accused convicted, other acquitted by Bombay High Court
Later the Goa police registered an FIR in the matter and arrested three persons - Placido Carvalho, Samson D'souza and a tour guide. Carvalho had admitted to drugging Scarlett and raping her before leaving her on the beach.
Later, on-demand of Advocate Vikram and Fiona, the matter was handed over to the CBI. The Goa children court had acquitted the accused sighting lack of evidence in the case, which was challenged by the CBI before the Bombay High Court in 2017.
Also Read: Scarlett Keeling murder: Hoping for justice at last for my daughter, says Fiona McKeown
With inputs from PTI
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