Goas Chief Minister Digambar Kamath told reporters today that British teenager Scarlett Keelings murder would not affect tourism in the State.
Panaji, Mar 11 : Goa's Chief Minister Digambar Kamath told reporters today that British teenager Scarlett Keeling's murder would not affect tourism in the State.
On the recent incident of Scarlett,s murder, Kamath said, "We have 2.5 million tourists visiting the State. When such a large number of tourists come and if one or two incidents take place of such nature, there is no need for the media to blow it out of proportion. I had said in the beginning of the incident that we will go to the root cause of the incident, if there is a false play,"
Kamath's comments came even as police in the State announced that another girl's dead body had been discovered in a Panji Hotel today.
Kamath said, "I would like to urge tourists to act in a more responsible manner. Goa is not the only destination where these kinds of incidents happen."
He urged the media not to defame the State.
"Lots of other things must be happening abroad which we don't come to know and here, just before any conclusion of the case, media channels have started bringing out that Goa is unsafe. I personally don't think that the incident would have any impact on Goa's tourism. People who come to Goa, always go back with sweet memories," said Kamath.
He said the state government will carry on with the investigations till the root cause of the murder is ascertained and the guilty are punished.
According to officials, tourists have made no immediate cancellations but there are fears about Scarlett's mysterious death affecting tourist inflows.
For decades, Indian beaches have been a happening destination for tourists not only during the peak Christmas and New Year season, but also all through the year making tourism the mainstay of Goa's economy after mining.
Meanwhile, Scarlett's mother, Fiona MacKeown, has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into her daughter's death. She has accused the Goa police of covering up the real circumstances behind Scarlett's death.Originally, Goa authorities had reported that Scarlett had drowned after taking drugs. Later, a second autopsy revealed injuries that indicated murder.
Police have arrested three persons and one of them is a suspect for raping the 15-year-old British girl found dead on Goa's Anjuna Beach.
ANI