By IANS,
London : The mother of British teenager Scarlett Keeling who was raped and murdered in Goa says she knows the identity of one of her daughter’s killers, a newspaper reported Monday.
“I was approached by many people who told me this man’s name. It is common knowledge out there it seems. He is a powerful person with money. It would explain a lot – why police have tried to cover it up,” Fiona MacKeown told the Guardian newspaper after returning to Britain from India Sunday.
“People are saying that they have had enough of him and his group and they want something done about it. I don’t think he will get away with it once the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) take over because they don’t take instruction from anyone. Hopefully we will get to the truth.”
When 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling’s body was found on Anjuna beach in February, Goa police initially said she had died after drowning. But MacKeown pointed to bruise marks on her body and forced police to reopen the case and conduct a second autopsy, which returned a verdict of rape and murder.
Two men have been arrested in connection with Scarlett’s death, but MacKeown says there is a cover-up between police, politicians and drugs barons.
A third autopsy conducted by British experts found that Indian doctors had removed Scarlett’s kidneys, stomach and uterus – without seeking MacKeown’s permission.
MacKeown had returned to India 10 days ago hoping to recover the organs for burial, but authorities in India said her request was “unprecedented” and could not be carried out.
MacKeown told the paper authorities had used “tactics of intimidation” against her.
“They have done everything they can to try to stop it being investigated properly,” she said.
MacKeown said local people had been very supportive of her campaign to find out what happened to her daughter. “It is quite moving the amount of people that have stopped and spoken to me. A lot of them feel very responsible that this has happened to Scarlett in their country.”
On reported plans by Bollywood film director Prabhakar Shukla to make a film based on the case, she said: “If it is to show the corrupt officials in Goa then I think it could be a good idea. But I hear he is going to call it ‘Rave Party’, which doesn’t sound good.”