Saturday 15 March 2008

MEDIA COVERAGE OF SCARLETT'S MURDER -- HOW 'THE NAVHIND TIMES' LIED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

This is big. Very big. The line we had been pursuing throughout the shady forensic and criminal investigation into Scarlett Keeling's murder has come out true. It is ironical, that The Navhind Times, the newspaper which was the first media outfit to distort facts to it's readers right from the outset, slipped in a story today on page two which goes contrary to all the stories which have been screaming out on page 1 all these days. This is how we put across our case against Goa's largest selling English newspaper, which has fibbed through its teeth to the readers.
1) On March 8, TNT published a story which claimed (excerpt)

-- ‘The Navhind Times’ has learnt that the final report of the first autopsy, carried out at the Goa Medical College and Hospital by a team of forensic experts, that was handed over to the police yesterday afternoon has indicated that it was a case of homicidal drowning and that the girl was raped prior to the ghastly murder --

We have always maintained there was no such 'final report' of the first autopsy report. Its humbug. TNT claimed that the final report was filed on March 7, weeks after the autopsy was conducted by the Dr Silvano Sapeco. This never did make sense.
But this controversial story completely set the media reportage off course, by completely shifting focus from the misdoings of forenseic Dr Sapeco and making the Anjuna police the sole villians. Villians they are, but they weren't the only rogues in this case. Reproduced below is another ridiculous paragraph filed by the TNT reporter, which is a complete lie and is tailor-made to a) Dr Sapeco's skin b) support the already ridiculous and false premise of the 'final report' of the first autopsy.

-- It is also learnt that though the case was transferred to Mr Braz Menezes, the police inspector in-charge of Bicholim police station, for investigations, the all important report sent in a sealed cover and which stated that the girl died due to homicidal drowning and that she was raped was not handed over him. It was only after Mr Menezes met Dr Sapeco that he learnt of the report and reported to his superiors. --

2) On March 9, TNT carried a follow up story, titled 'Second autopsy confirms Scarlett’s rape, murder'. This story took the lies published in the first story a few steps further. The non-existent 'final report of the first autopsy' was now described by the TNT as a 'supplementary report of the first autopsy', as you can see in this excerpt from the same story.

-- Panaji, March 8 The report of the second autopsy on the body of Scarlett Eden Keeling, the 15-year-old British girl who was found dead on Anjuna beach on February 18 has confirmed the findings of the supplementary report of the first autopsy, which had indicated that the girl died of homicidal drowning which was preceded by rape, according to sources in the Goa Medical College and Hospital.
--

And again in this para

-- Meanwhile, the sources in the government said that the Anjuna police had not informed the state authorities about the supplementary report sent by Dr Silvano Sapeco, the professor and head of department of forensic medicine, indicating that the girl was raped and that the cause of her death was homicidal drowning.
--

These two dubious stories were followed by this editorial, which was 'moving' in more ways than one. It moved facts from the drawing board to the dustbin. The edit predictably pats the earlier two stories on their backs and then goes on to say this.

-- And hats off to the doctors of the forensic department of the Goa Medical College who, keeping up their reputation of doing totally professional and impartial examinations, submitted the first autopsy report, which shattered the clearly dubious and premature statement about the cause of Scarlett’s death by the Anjuna police. The second autopsy, that was done by a three-member panel, only confirmed the findings of the first autopsy, which clearly pointed to rape and homicide.
--

Once again the intent seems to shelter Sapeco and nail the cops. "Totally professional" and "impartial"!!! Cock and bull... Facts were knowlingly fudged here.
Now for the sucker punch. This is the story which appeared in TNT today. We are not drilling any holes here. We are using the chief minister's quotes to arrive at our conclusion. The chief minister told TNT's reporter in Margao, that there is no such thing as a "supplementary report". Here's his byte as reported by TNT.

-- The chief minister rubbished the theory on the supplementary autopsy report and denied that there was any such report.There is no such thing called supplementary autopsy report,” Mr Kamat said virtually putting paid to the news on the supplementary autopsy report attributed to Dr Sapeco.
--

So what are we saying here?
The purported "final report" aka "supplementary report" was the basis of which TNT absolved Dr Sapeco of his misdemeanors (which are so evident now). So if this 'supplementary report' did not exist, Dr Sapeco's actions are no short of 'criminal negligence'. Dr Sapeco is as guilty as the cops in Anjuna, who tried to fudge the case.
Then why did TNT 'fabricate' it? To save Dr Sapeco? Or, if Dr Sapeco 'invented' this document, why did the TNT not cross check this? Why did they allow this lie to slip through on its pages so many times? Why did TNT build such an elaborate smokescreen to save Dr Silvano Sapeco? Is there a
quid pro quo down the line? Or has the quid pro quo happened already?
This is our guys... Now you tell us.

19 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The good thing is that NT subscribers rarely read the paper's editorials :-)

15 March 2008 at 07:35  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great work, guys.

But do you know why The Navhind Times is going out on such a limb to support the Forensic Department of GMC?

The truth is that Arun Sinha is merely repaying a BIG favour that the Department did for him.

Remember the Arun Sinha molestation case? Well, molestation was not the only charge laid against Sinha in that case, where he molested his 11-year-old maid servant while his wife was out of station.

Sinha was also to be charged with using Child Labour, as the girl was under 14. But, miraculously, the age determination test done by the Forensic Department of GMC found that the girl was '14 years and 7 months' old, with a factor of error of six months.

That age cannot be determined to the month is a well-known fact, but the Goa Forensic Dept is much more 'advanced' than its peers anywhere else in the world, and determined an age which left him in the clear even counting the margin of error.

Now, the Forensic Department is obviously calling in the favour. You can check up the documents of this case; my facts are 100 per cent correct.

To tell the story to the end, that put paid to the Child Labour charge, and then Sinha (or his lawyer) managed to persuade the judge to dismiss the molestation charge even before the framing of charges. He was scotfree! Or was he?

Unfortunately for Sinha, an NGO took the case to the High Court and got it reinstated. It is now going on in the Children's Court. Next time there's a hearing, please tip off the journalist community; I will let you know.

When the forensic age determination report comes up in the Children's Court, I hope it is challenged by the NGO too, so that the Forensic Department's skullduggery also gets exposed.

15 March 2008 at 11:00  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hehehe....Navhind Times is a Newspaper(Toilet Paper)you can Trust(Discard). What say Biharibabu?

15 March 2008 at 14:50  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You guys at penpricks for whatever reason are just refusing to believe the fact, that the wounds of a corpse in a morgue become more pronounced with the passage of time.

Therefore, Dr. Sapeco could not have seen all the wounds on the corpse.
(He was also suspended by Mr. Manohar Prabhu Parrikar, for he too refused to believe in the science called forensics)

The above was pointed out to you via an earlier comment. So you cannot feign ignorance. Besides, you have harnessed the use of the internet/e-mail and I cannot believe that you can't find even a single person who knows the ABCs of forensics.

Please consult any forensic doctor of your choice in any part of the globe to check the varacity of the above claims.

I think you as a journalist, owe it to everyone, to get facts form the experts in the field of forensics.

16 March 2008 at 00:07  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

WHO IS THE REPORTER WHO HAS FILED THIS HORRIBLE STORY? I THINK HE SHOULD BE GIVEN ADMISSION TO A JOURNALISM COURSE TO STUDY THE BASICS OF REPORTING... I MEAN REPORTING TO THE EDITOR..YES, YES MAN, BLOODY ASSLICKERS

16 March 2008 at 01:00  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

penpricks has reached the pits. This is the last, I am going to read or post annymously to penpricks. My request to the rest is please do the same if you feel that the site is offensive -- THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THEM SHUT-UP!"
a SENIOR GOAN JOURNALIST

16 March 2008 at 10:57  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Damn it Dr. Sapeco, get off this blog.... no one wants your comments!

16 March 2008 at 23:09  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, does the hymenal tear of a corpse too get more pronounced in a morgue with the passage of time? Or do souls have intercourse in the GMC Morgue?
For the record:
Dr Sapeco's report on Scarlett's does not mention
anything about hymenal tear.
The report of the panel of doctors says:
Hymenal tear present at 6 O'clock position.

17 March 2008 at 10:53  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Scarlett will never get justice! (If statistics are anything to go by)

So many murders take place and no justice is done.

After a few months when media frenzy had died, people have forgotten the case... The murderers will slowly slip out.

Sample this

1*. A top South Goa minister's sister murders her husband, in the presence of their kids; then proceeds to hack her mother-in-law unsuccessfully.

2*. Ms. Green (a.k.a Ms. Patel) found dead in a ditch, murdered.

3*. Pathology lab assistant Ms. Supriya Lotlikar strangled and dumped.

4*. A priest is stabbed 27 times. The killers were guests who arrived on a non-existant bus.

5*. Journo Desai form Monte Hill, Margao is free to do what he does best.

6*. Many foreigners' cases passed of as 'natural causes' are likely to be re-investigated.

7*. There has been atleast 1 custodial death too.

Journos writing plugs for CCOC is so common that no one even bats an eyelid.

Moral of the story for journos(if the cap suits)...
Don't drink and drive!
Smoke weed and fly!


(*Allegedly. The persons having any connection to the above are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

17 March 2008 at 22:50  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

GT-WEEKENDER (Pg 8-9 dtd. March 16 2008) has killed the suspense.

Here's the excerpt...

What in effect this 'supplementary report' turned out to be is merely a noting of Dr Sapeco on the reverse of the letter he received on March 6 from PSI Albuquerque,....(see fascimile).

17 March 2008 at 23:25  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

10 days have passed.

The story you promised (penpricks.blogspot.com/2008/03/small-story-coming-up.html) on March 8 is awaited!

18 March 2008 at 00:14  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon 15 March 2008 11:00

I thought the legal age for maids was 16.

So even if you factor in the margin of error it still doesn't add up!

18 March 2008 at 00:21  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Damn it Arun Sinha... get off this friggin blog!... go do what you do best....

18 March 2008 at 08:53  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since when is Dr Sapeco "A senior journalist" ??

18 March 2008 at 09:24  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

RAvi Naik is trying deflect the attention of general public from the case of Scarlet. He is now talking about foreigners over staying, morality of Scarlet mother blah blah blah...
When the fact is the leader of Bhojan Samaj is hand-in-glove with the drug mafia operating on the beache of Goa.
Shame on you Ravi Naik.

18 March 2008 at 17:49  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon: 18 March 2008 17:49

And the British Government has issued a travel advisory, specifically for their women.

What morality is Ravi talking about? What about his relationships? Implicating Fiona for the murder is stupidity. I wonder whether Ravi himself believes in the crap that is coming from his mouth.

My question is whether Goa has an abattoir for humans in the guise of shacks?

Why is Shri. Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar soooo silent. I haven't heard a peep from his mouth about his famous topic the russian-mafia.

Ravi, you moron answer this

1. Do the employees working in shacks come under the Shops and Establishment Act?

2. What's wrong with a tourist earning 100 Pounds (Rs. 8,175) per week? (Even if its child support or dole).

3. Is there any correlation between income and drug abuse or crime? i.e. do the rich not have any sins?

4. When the Navelim school girl on a cycle died the other day, under the wheels of a vehicle, why weren't you vociferous in condemning her mother? After all her mother sent her on a bicycle without a (bicycle)helmet. Wasn't her mother negligent?

P.S. Ravi was a tough home minister in the past, but hasn't shown any guts in his present tenure.

19 March 2008 at 23:05  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Damn it" anons... Why are you in such a crabby mood?

19 March 2008 at 23:20  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Shut up "Damn it" anon hater! I have to agree with Mr. Parrikar (MTech) on Ravi displaying blatant intelligence bankruptcy!

22 March 2008 at 21:28  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Last anon, Parrikar is not an M.tech.

He is a graduate (not post grad) in Metallurgy, from the I.I.T. institute.

24 March 2008 at 01:06  

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