By Our Chief Reporter

Panaji (Goa)  Goa Bench of Bombay High Court has fixed the final hearing in connection with the death of British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling on April 12 in which Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has challenged the decision of the lower court to acquit the accused.

The double bench of the High Court Justice Prithviraj Chavan and Justice N M Jamdar will hear the final arguments in the petition filed by CBI challenging the order of Goa Children’s Court which had acquitted both the accused – Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho.

On February 3, 2017, the CBI had moved to the High Court challenging the acquittal. The investigating agency had said that the trial court has wrongly concluded that the statements of the witnesses cannot be relied upon.

“The findings recorded by the trial Judge with regard to the medical evidence are perverse and contrary to the material on record,” the CBI has pleaded before the High Court.

The CBI has also said that the trial court judge failed to appreciate the facts and law points involved in the case.

Scarlett’s bruised, semi-nude corpse was found on the famous Anjuna beach on February 18, 2008.

The case, which was initially investigated by Goa police, was later handed over to CBI by the state government after Scarlett’s mother, Fiona Mackeown, raised doubts on the investigations.

Goa Children’s Court after examining several witnesses, on September 23 last year acquitted both the accused, eight years after the death of the 15-year-old girl.

The court ruled that the prosecution could not establish offence against both the accused.