The Indian police officer who first investigated the murder of Scarlett Keeling, the British teenager found dead on a beach in Goa, has been dismissed amid allegations of an attempted cover-up.

Nerlon Albuquerque, a sub-inspector with the Anjuna police in Goa, had claimed that the 15-year-old died accidentally after Scarlett's semi-naked body was discovered on February 19. He was suspended on March 13 amid accusations that he had mishandled the inquiry.

The Goan police originally said that Scarlett drowned while unconscious fafter a drink and drugs binge. Only a second autopsy carried out at the insistence of Fiona MacKeown, Scarlett's mother, showed that the teenager was probably murdered.

Vikram Varma, Mrs MacKeown's lawyer, today confirmed that Mr Albuquerque had been sacked, but said that the reasons for his dismissal were unclear. Mr Varma said: “He was the officer who initially investigated the case and he has been dismissed. The police have not yet revealed why.”

Police in Goa have arrested Samson D'Souza, 29, a bartender, who was remanded in custody on suspicion of rape. Another man, Placido Carvalho, 29, appeared in court on suspicion of drugging Scarlett and assisting in the murder and was released on bail this week after a court found there was insufficient evidence to show he had supplied narcotics.

The case, which has damaged the reputation of the police in Goa, is being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, India's premier law enforcement agency, which specialises in complex and serious cases.

A first post-mortem examination found only five bruises on Scarlett. The second report recorded 50 - 22 of them inflicted before her death. Injuries included cuts, abrasions and deep bruising on areas including her face, torso and genitals.

In a move that further damaged the credibility of the investigation, the pathologist who carried out the first post-mortem examination was also suspended last month. Dr Silvano Sapeco was removed from his position after the police accused him of leaking his report, which found that the 15-year-old had not died while unconscious, as the police had claimed, but had been drowned forcibly in shallow water.

Dr Sapeco's suspension reinforced Mrs MacKeown's suspicions that the police had sought to cover up the truth about the murder of her daughter.

The crime has shone a light on the darker side of Goa, which attracts about 500,000 tourists a year. The state, on India's western coast, is renowned for its beautiful beaches and has become easily accessible via low-cost airlines. However, it has also become notorious for its drug-fuelled beach-front raves and for its chaotic local government.

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