Indian police said Wednesday they had launched a murder investigation after a young Irish woman was found dead in the popular tourist state of Goa.
The 28-year-old’s body was discovered in a field on Tuesday morning and an autopsy is being conducted to ascertain whether she was sexually assaulted, Deputy Superintendent of Goan police Sammy Tavares told AFP.
“Her body was found in a naked state. A case has been filed under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (murder),” he said, adding that a suspect had been arrested.
Several foreigners have died in Goa over the past decade or so, including 15-year-old British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling, whose bruised and semi-naked body was found in shallow water on a beach in 2008.
The deaths, many in suspicious circumstances or from drug or alcohol abuse, have blighted the picturesque state’s reputation as a tourist haven.
Ireland said the woman found Tuesday also held a British passport, while Britain’s consulate in Mumbai told AFP it was working closely with local authorities.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed that the Irish Embassy in India is following up on the suspected murder of an Irish woman in Goa,” the Irish foreign ministry said in a statement.
“It has been confirmed that the woman travelled to India using a British passport, so the local British consulate have the lead responsibility in terms of dealings with the Indian authorities.
“The Irish Embassy is liaising closely with the British authorities and an Irish consular official is travelling from New Delhi to Goa today,” the statement added.
Last September two Indian men were cleared of the rape and murder of Keeling, whose death became international news, shining a spotlight on the seedy side of the resort destination popular with Western hippies and also drawing attention to India’s sluggish justice system.
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