Goa + Crime = Paradise Lost
Goa Tourism Minister under attack from UK, US, Japan, Russia and Israel
While the rape and murder of Scarlett Keeling has led to Britain updating its travel advisory to Goa, on March 7, other countries like the US, Japan, Russia and Israel have all separately questioned the Goa Tourism Ministry with concern.
Foreign offices of the above countries have written to the Goa Tourism Minister Mickey Pacheco asking why they shouldn’t issue travel advisories declaring Goa unsafe.
“In the wake of frequent foreigner deaths, and with causes of over 50 such deaths in the last five years still remaining a mystery (still awaiting laboratory reports), and reports of a thriving drug mafia, I’m being asked questions about action taken.
The foreign offices of Britain, US, Japan, Russia and Israel have all written to me about Goa turning into a unsafe tourist destination,” Pacheco told. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) in London has already dashed cautionary messages to their clients traveling to foreign countries.
Pachecho added that he would constitute a tourism task force to allay their fears. And while the tourism ministry is trying its best to prevent Goa’s image from being maligned as an unsafe destination, the home ministry in Goa has blamed the tourists themselves. With the Scarlett case generating interest with questions being asked, not just about the deceased, but now also about her mother Fiona’s past — the Goa government does not have a clear answer.
However, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat does not think tourism will be affected due to a few isolated cases, which, he said, had been blown out of proportion by the media. He said, “Goa has always attracted tourists from different parts of the world and is safe as always.”
Kamat had earlier controversially said that foreign women tourists had to be careful, and that they couldn’t just do these things and then blame the government for the consequences. On this, he clarified that all he meant was that as ‘we’ take precautions when visiting a foreign country, tourists visiting Goa needed to be cautious too.
Meanwhile Goa home minister Ravi Naik told that he was in the possession of a criminal investigation department (CID) report which highlighted the fact that foreign tourists wore beach outfits even while walking down the Anjuna market road stretch.
“These foreigners also use their children as carriers to transport drugs,” Naik said, blaming Fiona Mackewon of using her children for the purpose. The home minister accused Scarlett’s mother Fiona of having drugs on her while making a trip to Karnataka. “This will soon be proved,” he said. Fiona has denied this.
Though Naik, who has been accused by Fiona of trying to hush up the case to protect a few influential people (read drug mafia), refuses to acknowledge that Goa has turned into a hotspot for the drug cartel, he claims that it was always the tourists who were involved. “The involvement of tourists is evident from the fact that nearly half of the people arrested in narcotics cases are foreigners,” he said.
The inspector general of Goa Kishan Kumar said, “In 2007, the death toll from drug abuse was 59. And 55 foreigners died in the previous year,” Kumar said. Records however reveal that in half the cases, touching 350 in the last five years, the cause of death still remains unknown since the viscera report is yet to received.
“In 2008, the number of cases sent for viscera analysis is six of twelve deaths,” the head of forensic medicine, Goa Medical College (GMC) Dr Silvano Sapeco said. All the cases were referred to laboratories in Hyderabad and Mumbai, because drug abuse was suspected.
“All these cases pertain to foreigners,” Sapeco said. The viscera report establishes whether death was due to presence of drugs or poison in the stomach. Goa does not have such a laboratory. “Till reports arrive, it is difficult to invoke Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (murder),” Nerlon Albuquerque, the police official suspended in the Keeling case, said.
mynews.in
Comments
I was looking into Goa as I had plans of moving there. I unhappily came across murder scene photos of scarlett. This was much more than a rape case, it was vindictive, spiteful and anger driven. Her mouth was cut cheek to cheek in addition to being raped and beaten viciously. Goa is known for drugs, has been for quite awhile, and anywhere drugs are crime lay. Drugs and crime always equal murder or assault. Anyone who looks into this area knows that it is separated into sections controlled by mafia from different countries. None of this is the question. The question is IS IT SAFE FOR FOREIGNERS. As I have not lived there, nor have I been there yet I can only ascertain from that which I have read - and being a person who travels and lived in many countries, from my limited knowledge I will say that it is ‘questionable.’ In addition to frequent murders one has to question the overall attitude towards foreigners (which is the primary issue) and given the government stance which has currently revoked privileges towards once foreign homeowners (kicking them out of homes they've paid for and enforcing fines worth up to 3 times their property value, simply for having purchased land during a time when it was legal, one can only assume that this level of foreign hatred stems from the very government.
The reports are from reported cases too, not including random acts of violence which go either unreported by the persons or by the police themselves. Being a traveler one knows that many "third word" countries such as India it is virtually pointless going to the police unless you have social standing (and I do). In fact, if you have been victimized, such as robbed and involved in a fight, and it's not life threatening (or threatening of their tourism) it's basically a laughing matter - literally. India’s stance already on crime related issues are laughing matters when involving their own people of lower caste, and in a place like Goa. In a place like Goa, which is mafia and driven by drugs, so too will the stance be for crime against anyone local or non. Again the question is how safe if it for foreigners (who adhere to local customs and traditions). I cannot answer this question, but I can point out the obviousness and it concerns me to the point of being unsure whether or not I will move there. I get the sense that the vibe is part friendly and part hatred (but because there is beyond aggravated assault involved you have to be even more concerned) I count almost 1 murder per month on a foreigner - what about property crime, agro assault, and verbal abuse? Things to take into consideration I think.
I was looking into Goa as I had plans of moving there. I unhappily came across murder scene photos of scarlett. This was much more than a rape case, it was vindictive, spiteful and anger driven. Her mouth was cut cheek to cheek in addition to being raped and beaten viciously. Goa is known for drugs, has been for quite awhile, and anywhere drugs are crime lay. Drugs and crime always equal murder or assault. Anyone who looks into this area knows that it is separated into sections controlled by mafia from different countries. None of this is the question. The question is IS IT SAFE FOR FOREIGNERS. As I have not lived there, nor have I been there yet I can only ascertain from that which I have read - and being a person who travels and lived in many countries, from my limited knowledge I will say that it is ‘questionable.’ In addition to frequent murders one has to question the overall attitude towards foreigners (which is the primary issue) and given the government stance which has currently revoked privileges towards once foreign homeowners (kicking them out of homes they've paid for and enforcing fines worth up to 3 times their property value, simply for having purchased land during a time when it was legal, one can only assume that this level of foreign hatred stems from the very government.
The reports are from reported cases too, not including random acts of violence which go either unreported by the persons or by the police themselves. Being a traveler one knows that many "third word" countries such as India it is virtually pointless going to the police unless you have social standing (and I do). In fact, if you have been victimized, such as robbed and involved in a fight, and it's not life threatening (or threatening of their tourism) it's basically a laughing matter - literally. India’s stance already on crime related issues are laughing matters when involving their own people of lower caste, and in a place like Goa. In a place like Goa, which is mafia and driven by drugs, so too will the stance be for crime against anyone local or non. Again the question is how safe if it for foreigners (who adhere to local customs and traditions). I cannot answer this question, but I can point out the obviousness and it concerns me to the point of being unsure whether or not I will move there. I get the sense that the vibe is part friendly and part hatred (but because there is beyond aggravated assault involved you have to be even more concerned) I count almost 1 murder per month on a foreigner - what about property crime, agro assault, and verbal abuse? Things to take into consideration I think.
My son, Jon, died in Goa at the age of 28. As an American working in India, I thought that we would get some help to find out why he died. He was sponsored by Bikram Yoga Santa Monica, working for Sahara Corporation in Amby Valley resort north of Bombay. He loved to party and was with a Pakistani girl when he died of pulmonary edema at Baga Beach. The US Embassy did not help,the Goa police did not help, not one bit of help or word of sympathy from Sahara, and Bikram was happy not to be sued and lose reputation.
What a careless world we live in. The pain a parent feels when they have lost a child is agony beyond belief.
Save Goa!
its beautiful place.
rape can be at any place.
why just blame Goa only!!!
Since, most of the people are questioning about fiona and scarlett's background and suggesting that to be the reason of scarlett getting raped,I would like to know what backgrounds and lifestyles do people like murli,d souza and placido along with the police inspectors and the home minister(He wants to ban fiona from comming to India obviously becouse he is supporting crime) because I guess thats what they were tought at their homes,to rape and disrespect women,treat women only as sex objects.Thats what they are teaching their kids too...Wow...I rely rely PITY their families too since they have to live with mentally retarded people like them.
I would request to Union Home and External Affairs ministries that we should let more and more people like Fiona visit India,definately not with any daughters....so that the home ministers and police wake up from their deep beauty fairy tale sleep and do a little good work for the Country instead of bringing the whole country to Shame.Shame on Naik...he is sooooo cheap!!!
save goa i have also been raped in uk on my holiday and i have been done injustice of uk govern ment contact me
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