PANAJI: A Goa children's court on Friday acquitted both key accused in the 2008 Scarlett Keeling rape and murder case.The court cited lack of evidence before acquitting Goa natives Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho , who'd been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The trial ended last month, but the court had reserved its order until September 23. Scarlett's mother Fiona MacKeown - who was present during the pronouncement of the judgment - later said she was shocked, and that she would challenge the court's order The Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) had filed chargesheets against D'Souza and Carvalho in March 2010 under IPC Sections 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 354 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) and 328 (administrating a stupefying drug with an intent to cause hurt).In an attempt to nail the accused, the CBI tried to bring the prime witness in the case - Michael Mannion - from England to Goa. Mannion had told police he'd seen Samson D'Souza lying on top of the 15-year-old Keeling - whose body was found at Anjuna beach on February 18, 2008.He also said he'd seen Placido Carvalho along with Keeling at a shack, hours before her body was discovered. However, Mannion declined to travel to India to give evidence, citing threats to his safety.Earlier, CBI had also made arrangements for Mannion's deposition before the Children’s court in Goa by video conference with the help of Indian Embassy in London. But that didn't happen either, after the CBI was informed that Mannion was suffering from "medical problems."The government had handed the case to the CBI after local police faced heavy criticism for its failure to properly investigate the case, in which the victim was allegedly drugged, molested and left to die.