By IANS,
Panaji : After unsuccessfully trying to meet Fiona Mackeown in Britain for over two months, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought the Interpol’s help in recording her statement in the case of her daughter Scarlett Keeling’s mysterious death a year ago.
In an application submitted to the Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court, the CBI has said that a letter rogatory – a formal request to the judicial authority of a foreign country – seeking assistance in recording evidence was being processed to ensure that no further time was lost, a CBI source said Friday.
“Interpol, London, has desired that a letter rogatory be sent for the aforesaid purpose (recording statements) and as such a letter rogatory under Section 166-A of the Criminal Procedure Code is under process,” Pramod Mudbhatkal, CBI additional superintendent of police, Special Crime Branch, has said in his statement to the high court.
The CBI has been entrusted with the task of probing the rape and suspected murder of 15-year-old Scarlett at Anjuna beach in February last year, after investigations by the Goa police came under a cloud.
Sources in the CBI said after their sleuths were unable to meet Mackeown in December and January, it was decided to pursue the investigations in a two-pronged manner.
“We have also set in motion the judicial process as desired by the Interpol. We will try to meet Fiona in person as well,” a CBI official said.
The CBI also informed the high court that the agency had proposed to visit Mackeown in London between Dec 18 and 23 after coordinating the details, both by e-mail and telephonically.
“She informed by e-mail on Dec 17 and Jan 7 that she was not in the UK at the time,” the CBI has stated.
The CBI was further infuriated after Mackeown could not arrive in India subsequently due her inability to obtain a visa.