Panaji, April 11 (IANS) Almost two months after the body of British teenager Scarlette Keeling was found on Goa’s Anjuna beach, the state government Friday sacked police inspector Nerlon Albuquerque for shoddy investigations into the alleged murder. Following an uproar over the police’s handling of the case, the Goa government last week decided to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Albuquerque was an investigating officer with the Anjuna police station when Scarlette’s semi-nude and heavily bruised body was found at the beach Feb 18.He had ruled out foul play initially, terming it as death due to drowning.

Only after Scarlette’s mother, Fiona Mackeown, raised a hue and cry and lobbied for a second autopsy, the police decided to reinvestigate the case.

Despite repeated attempts to reach him on his mobile and residential numbers, Goa Inspector General of Police Kishan Kumar was not available for comment. He is reported to be away in New Delhi.

Albuquerque too refused to speak, while his immediate boss, senior inspector Braz Menezes did not respond to several calls.

The Goa police arrested two locals, bartender Samson D’Souza and an alleged drug peddler Placido Carvalho, in connection with the murder.

Two autopsies conducted on Scarlette’s body pointed to death by drowning but that did not convince her mother.

After campaigning in Goa for nearly one and half months, she took possession of her daughter’s body and flew down to Britain last fortnight.

A team of the National Commission of Women had also visited Goa last month to inquire into the case.

Inspector General of Police Kishan Kumar had said that the police had written to the state home department to transfer the investigations to the CBI since the police had nothing to hide over the issue.