Selja calls up Kamat, asks for more security for tourists

NEW DELHI - Tourism Minister Kumari Selja Wednesday called up Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and asked him to provide more security to foreigners in the wake of alleged rape of a nine-year-old Russian girl.

“The minister called up the chief minister this evening and asked him to give the full report of the incident,” sources in the ministry told IANS.

The Russian girl was allegedly raped by a tourist in north Goa’s popular Arambol beach, police said Wednesday.

According to the police complaint filed by the girl’s mother at the Pernem police station Tuesday evening, the incident happened when the girl was bathing in the sea at Arambol, 45 km from state capital Panaji.

Sources said the minister described the incident as “shameful”.

The minister also informed Kamat that she would be holding a meeting of tourism ministers of western states in March.

“In the meeting, one of the main issues would be how to provide a safe and secure environment to the tourists,” a source said.

Nearly two million tourists visit Goa annually, of whom around 450,000 are foreigners.

Crimes against foreigners, especially Russians, have seen Goa receive a lot of media attention in recent times.

A 25-year-old Russian woman was allegedly raped by a Goan politician in December last year.

Police have also been unable to crack the mysterious death of Russian teenager Elena Sukhonova, whose mangled body was found on the railway tracks.

However, the most sensational incident was the rape and murder of British teenager Scarlett Keeling after she was given a narcotics cocktail two years ago.