Second Man In Court Over Scarlett Murder

A second man arrested in Goa in connection with the drugging, rape and murder of British teenager Scarlett Keeling has appeared in court.

Placido Carvalho was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in court today. He has not been charged, but has been remanded in custody for 14 days to give police more time to question him.

According to reports, police have alleged that Mr Carvalho supplied ecstasy and possibly other drugs to the 15-year-old before she was raped.

Scarlett, from Bideford in Devon, was found dead on Anjuna Beach on February 18. Local police had originally said that the teenager had accidentally drowned. However, a murder investigation was launched following a second post-mortem, which showed that Scarlett had been attacked.

Another man also appeared in court, in connection with the case, earlier this week. Samson D'Souza, 28, appeared in a court in Mapusa, Goa, on Monday, charged with the teenager's rape, but not her murder. He has been remanded in custody and police are continuing to question him.

Scarlett's mother, Fiona MacKeown, has accused the police in Goa of instigating a cover-up in the case. In a letter to Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Mrs MacKeown said: "I have no faith in the leadership of the Goa Police.

"The administration tried its best to hush up the death as a simple case of drowning."

On Thursday, Sky News reported that Nelson Albuquerque, the officer in charge of the murder investigation, has been suspended from his post.

Police inspector Kishan Kumar appeared to dismiss yesterday's reports that Mrs MacKeown would not face a possible investigation for negligence.

Mrs MacKeown, who was on a six-month holiday to India, had left Scarlett in the care on a 25-year-old local tour guide, while she and the rest of her children travelled to another part of the country.

Mrs MacKeown denied that she was negligent, but said that she had been naive and trusting.

(KMcA)