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2008 International Goan Convention
Toronto, Canada
Early Bird Discount Registration closes March 31, 2008
http://2008goanconvention.com/registration.html
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Her Bohemian outlook sitting postures easily resembles the flower children of
the early seventies, that made a beeline to this land.
But when this writer met Fiona Mac Keown 43 of Devon Bideford UK mother of,
Scarlet Eden Keeling 15 years the oldest daughter and one of the nine siblings
on two occasions, once at the Baga Beach on 16.3.2008 at a televised debate
NDTV 24x7 and later on 18.3.2008 at her present abode A S/4 Paraiso Porvorim,
she appeared to be an intensely traumatized and grieving mother with nerves of
steel seeking moral support & rooting for justice. In Devon UK they live in a
caravan and off the proceeds from a ½ acre farm land.
It is the “police cover up” into the mysterious circumstances of the death
of her beloved daughter – charming and full of life in her formative age-
exactly a month ago on 18.02.2008 on the Anjuna Beach.
The prima facie suspicion is on Bandra Mumbai bred, Police Sub Inspector
Nerlon Albuquerque & Dr Silvano Sapeco, Head of Forensic Department of the Goa
Medical College Hospital Bambolim. Both Mr Albuquerque and Dr Sapeco were
suspended in 2004 over the mysterious death of an youth in Molcornem Quepem. It
is believed his testicles were crushed but the post mortem report concluded
otherwise
The first autopsy report of of 18.02.2008 had shown merely five post mortem
bruises and stated --drowning in the beach sand waters --as the cause of
death based on which the police report prepared by a subordinate Laximi Amonkar
in Anjuna Police station rendered the body embalmed into the morgue where it
lies till date.
There are many unanswered questions though a) who intimated the police of
seeing Scarlet dead body ? b) why did the PSI not order proper investigations
into the cause of death when the body found semi naked and with fresh
multiple bruises ( as witnessed by Fiona on 24th February, 2008 when she went
to take possession of the body from the morgue upon return from Karnataka) and
bearing no signs of drowning viz froth in the mouth etc could have easily
aroused suspicion ? c) if the police knew then, she was 15 years was it not
reason enough to the law enforcing officer to act accordingly?
Fiona and her new found guardian angel now in her moments of distress, Ms.
Dakini Runningbear ( ex California ) living in UK, who spoke to this writer in
the presence of Vikram Verma her legal counsel begs answers to these
questions? They will exhaust all executive means then move the Courts, Verma
pitched in.
Fiona and 8 children landed Goa in November, 2007 courtesy her mate 47 years
Robert Clarke and lived in a resort in Anjuna before taking on rent of
Rs.30,000 two houses. Bored with their sojourn in the north they preferred to
travel down South. On 08.03.2008, Fiona the other children and her mate,
motored down in a jeep they had purchased to Gokarn beach in the South Indian
State of Karnataka. When this writer visited the Gokarn town there was this
ancient Hindu temple visited by Hindus and several foreigners make it to the
nearby hill-top overseeing the beach and the Arabian sea.
Scarlet chose to stay back with Julio Lobo a Goan from Siolim who she
befriended her while in Goa. Julio back from Finland allegedly enticed Scarlet
over job prospects in Finland and his ostentious life style he owned a boat in
Goa apparently made the teenager in her formative age fall for the bait ..
Coming from a middle class family Julio has an ancestral house and lives with
two aunts at Siolim. Her claimed to keep her in his out house while the others
were away. Fiona now regrets that she was naïve and too trusting leaving her
daughter Scarlet behind. It was during her stay in Gokarn until the fateful
date that she discovered much later that all was perhaps “not well” with
Scarlet which eventually ended in the tragedy. Her diary bear testimony to some
valuable tell-tale notings. Back home in the UK she received news that on 14th
February, 2008 her son Halloran was allegedly knocked down while crossing the
road in Barnstaple UK and is now
recuperating.
When this writer visited the Lui shack, at Anjuna to have an incite of the
scene of the alleged crime it was one of the modest rustic looking shack with a
billiards board. There were foreigners still there and one of them who spoke to
this writer was recuperating in the St Anthony’s Hospital of Dr Jawaharlal
Henriques at Anjuna. A drug detoxification centre too.
The shacks on the beach at Anjuna are raised high up as much of the sand has
been mined away over the years to the glass manufacturing units outside the
state. There are several beach beds five pairs are allotted to a shack and
the sea waters come up right below the shacks depending upon the tides. On the
north of the shack a little yonder lay the site where the body of Scarlet was
found said the man at the counter in the shack to this writer. He appeared a
little disturbed over the low turn out and the hordes of news audio and visual
media personell visiting his shack. Behind the shacks is the parking lots and
unasphalted path ways leading to the shacks. Many families trading in crafts
and other smithy works from the North Indian state of Rajasthan are clustered
in small make shifts rooms near the shacks. It is beyond doubt that not many
have witnessed the attack on Scarlet but few who saw would not venture to speak
out – at least not when
this writer quizzed some little youngsters they just nodded in ignorance.
One would expect the Goa Government machinery to do justice and book the
culprit suo moto; instead the Government put all its ammunition at its
disposal to avert the probe into the mysterious circumstances of Scarlet’s
death when the news audio and visual media gave it extensive coverage. They
countered the allegations thus a) the Chief Minister of Goa Mr Digamber Kamat
blaming her for carelessness leaving her minor daughter in the hands of new
found strangers etc b) began to probe into some of the unconnected past of
Ms Fiona to portray her as a women of ill-repute c) cast aspersions on the
lifestyle of both Fiona and late Scarlet as being indulgent in the consumption
of drugs et al. d) the Home Minister Ravi Sitaram Naik even threatened to ask
the Centre to refuse extension of her visa beyond April 2008 end e) the
Police interrogated her under the alibi of violating Goa Children’ Act viz for
leaving a minor in unknown hands .
But Fiona kept her tirade directed against the CM the DGP, the Home Minister
and the Government, for the police cover up lies of the mysterious
circumstances of her Scarlets death. She wrote letters to all and sundry even
appealed to PM Dr Manmohan Singh.
Eventually for Fiona God willed otherwise. Her efforts were indeed bearing
fruits; a) second autopsy was ordered by the CM. The autopsy report dated 8
March, 2008 conducted by a tripartite team comprising Dr Edmundo Rodrigues
Associate Prof; Dr Andre Fernandes & Dr Mandar Kantak both Asst Professor as
shown to this writer clearly differed with the first report of 18.03..2008
which showed a mere five injuries while this one revealed 23 ante and 27 post
mortem bruises on her body a hymen tear. Surprisingly maintaining that “
possibility of cause of death due to drowning cannot be ruled out”. b) the PSI
has been placed under suspension and Dr Silvano Sapeco, Head of Forensic
Department of the Goa Medical College Hospital Bambolim will follow suit. c)
the vicera has been sent for an immediate report to the Central Forensic
Laboratory at Kalina Santa Cruz West Mumbai (why not Hyderabad any connection
with the Bandra PSI??) d) Two arrests and
detentions have been made of suspects Samson D Souza and Placido Carvalho
alias “Shanna boy” for drugging rape and murder of Scarlet e) the third
Julio Lobo’s could be underway with his passport impounded f) a “look out
circular” was sent across the country to hunt for Michael Anthony Mannion
alias Mike Masala an UK national witness to the crime to depose before the
Investigating team headed by the new incumbent SP North Bosco George after the
earlier one was replaced g) the Scarlet death issue was raised in Parliament
by CPI(M) Ms B Karat and others h) the Lui shack excise licence has since been
suspended, i ) the police has ordered a close down of all food and drinks
outlets in the State at the stroke of midnight. This includes the outlets
which were granted excise licence for functioning until 0200 hrs on payment
of higher fees. Serving of alcohol beyond 23 hrs is prohibited and the sound
restrictions strictly enforced, j)
police patrolling on the beaches have been intensified.
The “ aam admi” however believes that this could be an eye wash since the
issue has figured in ongoing Budget session of Parliament and covered by
almost every news audio and visual media locally nationally and
internationally.
Fearing a further back lash during the State Assembly Budget session commencing
next week i.e after Holy week the Goa Government will plan more steps avert a
fall of the Government. Even a CBI enquiry may be announced to buy time.
There have been fresh sting operations that have clearly exposed the thriving
drug, sex trade along the beach reinforcing the belief of the drug mafia -
police - nexus in the State. This despite the fact that the CM maintains that
this is a stray incident given a media hypeInterestingly another female
foreigner a German was molested in Zalor Cavelossim and another female died at
Palolem.
The Government however has adopted a soft attitude towards tourism nuances..,
in keeping with the "Incredible India campaign ". What is incredible about
India ??? --- the police cover up to the Scarlet case and several cases of
deaths reportedly by drowning and sexual assaults rape and molestations
----wonders Ms. Dakini Runningbear when she spoke to this writer.
In Goa it is not an unfamiliar sight to see foreign tourists staying in
boarding houses with Goan families along the coast line and mixing freely
moving about with locals. There are several school going /university students
some of them girls who come alone and many of them by their physical stature
would not appear as minors neither did Scarlet. That she was a minor became
evident only after her death agrees her mother.
To a well meaning citizen, a) even assuming the police knew she was a minor
was it not the responsibility of the police to suspect and investigate the
circumstances of her death?? b) what has the conviction and one year (of the
total three years) imprisonment of Ms Fiona for manslaughter to do with the
present case?? c) what has the State Government or the police to do with her
source of income ??? and use of doles offered by the Government of UK to its
citizens ???
The "aam aadmi" are disgusted at remarks of the Chief Minister Mr Digamber
Kamat, who is discreetly rumoured to have "faced similar situations" the Home
Minister Mr Ravi Sitaram Naik, the Minister for Power Mr Aleixo Sequeira.
They demonstrated their true colours and shown uncivility in conduct towards a
mother in distress and bereavement. It speaks volumes for their moral
bankruptcy and incompetence to rid the State of the drug menance which they
are now compelled to do by the determination of a foreigner -Ms Fiona. Ms
Fiona will take Scarlets body to the UK and return to pursue the ends of
justice.
Many people have expressed concern to this writer of how the Hon’ble elected
representatives some of them tried under COFEPOSA, in the eighties and have
even been sent to jail or others having been on the wrong side of the law have
had the audacity to hurt the sentiments of a mother who is in her moment of
bereavement; they wondered if the National Human Rights Commission would put a
stop to their tirade lashed out on the news audio visual media. Several women
activists have extended support to Ms Fiona, and more support is sure to
follow.
The last straw in the camels back appears to be the attempts of the Government
to uncover the credentials and past land dealings involving foreigners
allegedly conducted by Mr Vikram Verma a Supreme Court advocate now residing
in Porvorim (where Ms Fiona has sought refuge while her children have moved to
UK) ; though this has nothing to do with the brief he holds for Fiona and the
Scarlet murder case.
Ms Fiona Mac Keown needs the moral support of all well meaning citizens of the
state. She has expressed her love for this beautiful State even though she
grieves her daughters death.
PS some photographs of Anjuna, Gokarn etc available on request.
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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