Fiona Mackeown, mother of the British teenager Scarlet Eden Keeling who was allegedly raped and murdered in India's western coastal state Goa nearly two years ago, is willing to present herself as a witness before a court here, her lawyer said.
"Fiona is willing to come to the court. Her testimony would be crucial for the case," Fiona's lawyer Vikram Varma said.
He said he would discuss appropriate dates with the public prosecutor and then will inform his client, who is in UK at present, to keep herself free for India visit.
The trial in the sensational scarlet death case began this week with a local policeman constable Gurunath Naik becoming the first witness to depose before the court.
Scarlet's bruised semi-nude corpse was found on Anjuna shore on February 18, 2008 following which two locals -- Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho -- were booked by Central Bureau of Investigation for drugging, sexually abusing and leaving the teenager to die on the shore.
The prosecution had termed Fiona's statement in the case as "very important". "The witness by Fiona is very crucial in this case. We will summon her for the trial. But if she fails to turn up, we can even have her evidence through video conferencing," CBI counsel S R Rivonkar said.
Rivonkar said that other two foreign witnesses, Spanish girl Ruby Caso and Britisher Mike Mannion, will also be asked to depose through video conferencing.
The prosecution in the trial will be producing 72 witnesses, who would be cross examined by defence lawyers --Ryan Menezes and Peter D'Souza.