PANAJI, India, Nov 21, 2008 (AFP) - Judges in the Indian resort state of Goa on Friday slammed police for their investigation into the alleged rape of a German teenager, describing their inquiry as "neither just nor fair".

Two senior officers summoned to appear before a special sitting of the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court were given a rebuke for the manner in which they conducted the case.

The mother of the 14-year-old filed a complaint in October that her daughter had been raped by the son of a Goan state minister but withdrew it earlier this month, alleging she came under pressure from police to drop the case.

"The jurisprudence is to ensure that just, fair and logical investigation is (carried out) in accordance with the criminal procedure code and the police manual."

The judges asked why the local police had not handed over the case to a specialised agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation, which probes serious, high-profile crimes.

They expressed concern that one of the suspects was given bail by the children's court when he was eventually apprehended and called for the police to give proper protection to the alleged victim and her mother in the future.

Police procedures were criticised in the case of 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling, a British tourist who was found dead on a beach in Goa in February this year.

Both officers criticised in the German case, Superintendent Bosco George and inspector Tushar Vernekar, were also involved in the investigation into Scarlett's death.

The hearing was adjourned until December 10 when the police will respond.