‘I’m waiting to give Scarlett a decent burial’

SEEKING JUSTICE
‘I’m waiting to give Scarlett a decent burial’
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Almost eight months after British teenager Scarlett Keeling was found dead on the Anjuna beach, her mother says that she is still waiting to give a decent burial to her daughter. Though sad that her daughter’s body is still lying in a morgue in the UK, she stated that she doesn’t feel guilty about the delay.
“The British coroner has informed us that he can’t release Scarlett’s body until the toxicology tests are performed and they get the results. These tests are taking a long time as many organs were missing from Scarlett’s body,” said Fiona, speaking to TOI from her home in Devon, UK.
She said that she doesn’t feel guilty about not being able to bury Scarlett. “At the moment it is not in my hands. But
I do feel sad that people who loved her haven’t been able to say goodbye to her,” said Fiona.
The semi-naked body of Scarlett, 15, from Devon, was found on February 19 after she had been raped and murdered. After two forensic autopsies in Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim, Fiona had taken Scarlett’s body to the UK for a third autopsy, where the doctor of the coroner’s court in Devon, UK, revealed that Scarlett’s kidneys, stomach and uterus were missing. The forensic doctors at GMC had stated that the organs were preserved for tests.
“The coroner has written to the Goa government asking for information about the organs. Even I have written to the CBI requesting them to return Scarlett’s organs so that we can give her a decent burial. I believe that the organs would eventually be returned,” she said.
Incidentally, though Fiona has all the necessary permissions to come to India and help the CBI in its investigations, she is not eager to arrive in Goa. She has been postponing her trips as a case has been filed against her for being a negligent mother by a Utt Goenkara spokesperson.

October 6, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

4-yr-old Ponda girl braves three open-heart surgeries

4-yr-old Ponda girl braves three open-heart surgeries
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: The Naute family from Ponda had lost their 14-year-old daughter to cancer. Their only hope was their yet -to-be-born child. Born on December 21, 2004 they named the baby Akansha, in memory of their late daughter.
Little did they anticipate that less than a month after their daughter’s birth, the doctors would open her heart to perform a gruelling operation. They still remember doctors telling them, “She is born with a rare and highly complex heart problem as she has a single pumping chamber (ventricle) with complete obstruction to the blood flow in the main blood vessel of the body”. The parents spent panicky moments, oscillating between hope and fear, as doctors informed them that they would have to perform three open-heart surgeries on her and the outcome was likely to be uncertain.
But little Akansha survived three operations and is now fit to join a play school. “It is a miracle. We are happy to see our four-year-old daughter happy and laughing after the final surgery last month,” said the couple.
Dr N S Devananda from Wockhardt hospitals, Bangalore, said that Akansha’s is a rare case. “This is the second case I’ve seen in my career. The child required complex surgeries but her recovery was good,” he said.
The doctor said that the first operation was done when Akansha was one month old as there was an obstruction in the heart. As part of the complex operation, the obstructed tube was cleared.
But it was not the end of her woes. Six months later, an angiogram showed that she had high pressure in the blood circulation to her lungs. Besides, a new obstruction to the flow of blood had been found in her heart. “The restrictive hole was widened, and the blood vessel from the heart to the lung was disconnected in the second surgery,” the doctor explained.
Two years later, a third heart surgery was performed. She developed a rare complication called aneurysm of the ventricle which had grown large. A final open heart surgery was done to repair the aneurysm. “These kinds of complications are very rare, wherein, along with an expected surgery, we had to perform another major surgery,” added Dr Devananda.

October 5,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Lady constable attempts suicide

Lady constable attempts suicide
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: A lady police constable Abhijita Chari (22) attempted suicide alleging stress and mental harassment at her work place.
Chari, who joined Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) in June 2006, consumed twelve tablets on Saturday at 7 pm in the barracks. On seeing that she was not feeling well, her colleagues rushed her to Goa Medical College, Bambolim.
The doctors at GMC said that she had consumed Crocin, Norflox and Lomotil. She was given a stomach wash and admitted in a ward. Doctors said that her condition was stable.
Speaking to TOI, Chari said that she had attempted suicide as she was stressed after being mentally harassed for the last two years by her seniors. She also said that she had informed the SP Waman Tari, who is also the deputy commandant of IRB, about her situation at an orderly rule on Friday.
Confirming this, SP Tari said that he had heard her on Friday. “The reason why she attempted suicide is not yet known. We will be conducting an inquiry into this to find out what the problem is,” he said.
Meanwhile, her mother, Arjuna Chari alleged that her daughter’s seniors were deliberately trying to defame her by creating an impression that she is of loose character. A medicolegal case has been registered.

October 5, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition