Panaji: The police have provided security cover for Fiona Mackeown, mother of allegedly raped and slain British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling, as she feared threat from the drug cartels she was exposing them in Goa.

Fiona, who is staying at secret destination in South Goa, has been provided armed guards since last evening, the police said. It was on her threat perception and request that we have provided her security, a senior police officer said today.

With the government too expressing its readiness to order a CBI probe into the Keeling episode yesterday, even as she was toying with the idea of approaching the Bombay High Court at Goa, Fiona expressed her readiness to go back home before her visa expires early next month along with the body of her daughter, sources said.

She was demanding a CBI probe into the entire episode including police-drug cartel nexus saying it was responsible for the murder of her daughter besides alleging that the local police were trying to hush-up the case since beginning.

It was significant that Home Minister Ravi Naik told the Legislative Assembly yesterday that the police suspect the links of some politicians and outstation media persons with drug cartels in Goa which needs a probe.

A bartender Samson D Souza and a drug peddler Cavelho had been arrested in connection with the case while the authorities had suspended the Anjuna police station sub-inspector Nerlon Albuquerque and chief of the forensic department Dr Silvani Sapeco for their alleged lapses in dealing with the case.

Police maintain that investigation of the case had almost been complete and that they were fine-tuning it before filing the chargesheet soon. It might be recalled that the semi-clad body of Keeling was found on Anjuna Beach on February 18 with multiple bruises under suspicious circumstances. Police suspected that she was heavily drugged with a cocktail of marijuana, cocaine, escacy with alcohol, then raped and left to die in the shallow sea water.

Viscera report also confirmed presence of drugs and alcohol. Dr Sapeco, however, continued to offer different versions on the cause of death on two autopsies he had conducted on the body of Keeling that led to his suspension pending an inquiry.

Source : UNI