by ARES
Daijiworld Media Network Goa
Panaji, Mar 10: Intensifying their investigations in the death of 15 year old British girl who was found dead on Goa's seashore, police today arrested a shack boy for raping the girl little before she was found dead.
Police arrested Samsung D'Souza, 29, for raping Scarlette Eden Keeling in the wee hours of February 18 few hours before she was found dead in a semi nude condition on Anjuna beach.
"He is arrested under the charges of rape as an eye witness has given testimony that he saw Samsung in compromising position with the girl," state inspector general of police Kishan Kumar stated tonight.
Kumar said that the charges of rape stands as the girl is minor and as per Indian laws sexual intercourse even with the consent of girl amounts to rape.
The family of Scarlette had earlier accused Goa police of attempting to cover up the case after the police registered the case as accidental drowning.
It was only after the media and family mounted the pressure and state chief minister Digamber Kamat intervened, the second autopsy was conducted on her body which pointed out 50 bruise marks, half which were ante mortem.
Amidst mounting pressure, the state police had changed the investigating officer of the case replacing sub inspector Nerlon Albuquerque with special investigating officer, police inspector Braz Menezes.
The police earlier in the day had registered the case as murder and filed FIR under section 302 of indian penal code (IPC).
In the afternoon, police had taken custody of three people – including Samsung D'Souza – who were seen with the girl during the last moments.
"We will arrest more accused soon," Kumar said.
Police sources confirmed that they are trying to probe into the murder angle of the mystery as the girl was found dead just one hour forty minutes after she was seen with Samsung.
"This is a crucial time period. We are able to get to know what happened during this time span, we will be able to solve the case in toto," Kumar said.
The police investigations are surrounding around few hours of Scarlette's movements before her death. Eye witnesses have already revealed that Scarlette was seen partying with a group on a beach shack at Anjuna, few metres away from where her body was found.
Police officials stated that after nabbing Samsung who is having a sure role to play in the entire episode, they will be able to piece together the clues which will lead them to whether Scarlette was murdered or it was actually accidental drowning.