by ARES
Daijiworld Media Network - Goa
Panaji, Mar 16: On the backdrop of charges leveled against him by british girl's mother, Fiona Mackeown, Goa home minister Ravi Naik today said that her (Fiona's) background, source of income and her frequent trips to the Karnataka should be probed.
"There is need to probe into her (Fiona's) background and source of income. We will certainly do it," the home minister said reacting to the allegations of nexus with drug mafia leveled against him by Fiona.
The mother who's 15 year old girl, Scarlett Eden Keeling, was drugged, raped and left to die on Goa's popular Anjuna beach, had charged director general of police, B S Brar, along with the home minister of having nexus with the drug mafia in the state. Scarlett's body was found on February 18.
Seemingly perturbed home minister said that the ministry will also investigate why she was often visiting Karnataka.
Naik termed Fiona's statements as ``foolish'. ``Goa police have thoroughly probed the case and booked the people. We have commissioned reputed officer like superintendent of police Bosco George to handle the case," he added.
"How can she charge us of having nexus with the drug traders," Naik shot back.
On Saturday, the scene on Scarlett's death investigation was shifted from coastal Anjuna belt to special juvenile unit located alongside panaji police station where Fiona was questioned for less than one hour by cops.
Superintendent of police (north) Bosco George along with a lady police officer took in-camera recording of the statements.
"We had asked her questions related to the investigations and about the accusations she has been making in public on police," George told reporters waiting outside the police station.
He said that few more persons are being questioned in this case. "There will be no immediate arrests," the sp added.
Earlier, the british family members threatened to move to the judicial recourse, to expose criminal-police-politician nexus. "The family members feel that police might harass them in future. We may move to the high court to expose the nexus," Vikram Varma, lawyer representing SCarlett's family, said.
Before going to give her statement, Fiona had accused state home minister and Dgp of being involved in drug trade. "I had been informed that there is a strong nexus between drug mafia, Ravi Naik (current home minister) and director general of Goa police B S Brar," she said in a statement to the press.
She said the Home minister and DGP are having full knowledge of the criminal activities, have done their best to protest the criminals. "That has been the case with my daughter also," she added.
The mother circulated the copy of statement issued by tourism minister Fransisco Pacheco, which had expressed worries about increasing drug trade along the coastal belt.
"The world is witness to their attempts to cover up Scarlett's murder," she said.
Demanding probe by central agencies in the entire matter, Fiona today said that any inquiry by these two people (HM and DGP), would be watered down to levels useless for a crime free society.
"Goa is a beautiful place and I love Goans. These two persons have brought shame to not only Goa but the entire country," the mother said adding, `to my mind good people don't deserve an environment controlled by a drug mafia under protection of few corrupt police officers and politicians.'
Fiona has said that this case is not just about the murder of my daughter but also about the many such unfortunate victims whose identities would be revealed after the proper investigations.