Anjuna hospital had stated she had a history of drug overdose but post-mortem did not find any drugs or poison in viscera
A three-member CBI team comprising a police inspector and two other officers is expected to arrive in Goa from Navi Mumbai on Tuesday to take over the reins of the case of 2010 of British charity worker Denyse Carol Sweeney’s death from Anjuna police.
Earlier on January 14, the file containing the case papers of the five-year old case were handed over by Anjuna police to the CBI.
Sources disclosed that the Anjuna police had moved the first proposal through the Superintendent of Goa Police for handing over the case to CBI way back on October 8, 2012. However, the first proposal was turned down by the CBI citing lack of substance in the case.
It was the only second proposal dated March 9, 2013 from Anjuna police repeating the request, which eventually came to be considered by the CBI, allegedly owing to the diplomatic exchanges between the Indian and British embassies.
Contrary to the reports of tardiness leveled against them, Anjuna police moved their first proposal on the same day when they received communication from Maureen Sweeney, sister of the deceased.
Anjuna police also have records of numerous communications from the British embassy on behalf of Maureen seeking updates on the progress of the investigation, to which Anjuna cops appear to have responded in a timely manner.
In her letter dated May 1, 2012, sent to the Union Ministry of External Affairs via email, Maureen, for the first time raised suspicion over the cause of her sister’s death and stressed on the angle of foul play. The letter urged the government to hand over the case to a special authority.
It was on the basis of this letter that an FIR was registered by Anjuna Police under Section 302 of IPC for murder on July 6, 2012 with the then PI Rahul Parab as complainant.
Denyse Sweeney arrived in India on December 9, 2009.
On April 16, 2010, Anjuna police received a phone call from St Anthony’s Hospital in Anjuna informing them about the demise of a British national while undergoing medical treatment. Back then, the hospital authorities said that Sweeney had a history of drug overdose. Upon this information, a case of unidentified dead body was registered.
During the preliminary enquiry, the then PI Manjunath Desai learnt that the deceased person was brought to the hospital by one Robert (Bob) Stutterd, also a British national.
The doctor, who was treating Sweeney at the hospital, cited aspiration, pneumonia, hypertension and possible drug overdose as the possible cause of death
Inquest panchnama was conducted and the body was sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim for post-mortem. The findings of the post-mortem focused on cerebral and pulmonary oedema as the cause of death. Injuries and shallow bruises were also noticed all over her body. The viscera material was preserved for further examination. The post-mortem did not find any drugs or poison in the viscera.
The body was handed over to one Ellroy Noronha, representative of Indian Funeral Services, Mumbai on May 4, 2010, nineteen days after Sweeney’s death, so that the family could perform last rites.
Subsequently, on June 13, 2013 Derbyshire police in UK proceeded to record the statements of Bob and one Sean, who had accompanied Sweeney on her last day.
Both Bob and Sean, in their statement, said that the three of them had gone to Mango Tree restaurant, where they had a few drinks before proceeding to Primrose Bar and Restaurant at 2 am.
The duo were playing pool on the upper floor of Primrose when, at 6 am, a staff member of the restaurant found Sweeney lying face up near the toilet. In his statement, the boy had stated that she was shivering and was unable to breathe. This fact was reiterated by Bob and Sean, who also added that her body was stiff.
