Cop accused of botching Scarlett Keeling probe penalised, says Ravi Naik

The police officer accused of allegedly botching the investigation in Scarlet death case was awarded with minor penalty by the state police, Goa Assembly was informed today.

The state home minister Ravi Naik, in a reply tabled on the floor of the House, has said that Police sub inspector (PSI) Nerlon Albuquerque was penalised by withholding his increment for a period of one year.

The department has said that this penalty will not bear any effect on the future increment of pay.

British school girl Scarlet Eden Keeling's bruised corpse was found on Anjuna shore on February 18, 2008.

PSI Albuquerque was allegedly accused of botching up the initial investigation by pushing under carpet Scarlet's death as due to drowning.

He was suspended on March 13, 2008 and was later reinstated after he won case in the High court.

The PSI is currently attached to Goa Reserve Police (GRP) unit.

The probe, which was shifted from Albuquerque to Braz Menezes, had nabbed two locals - Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho, for drugging, raping and leaving scarlet to die on the shore.

The CBI has filed the chargesheet in the case and the trial is on in the children's court.