Soni, Choudhry say Goa Police probe of UK girl's death embarrassing

London, Mar.5 : Two ministers of the Indian Government have described the investigation into the death of a 15-year-old British girl in Goa as an embarrassment.

Tourism Minister Ambika Soni and the Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chaudhary have said the way detectives in Goa had handled the investigation into the death of Scarlett Keeling in Anjuna was "an embarrassment". his has prompted the local police to re-open the case.

According to The Telegraph, Keeling's body was found on the morning of February 19, just hours after she was seen leaving a beach bar.

Local police said she was found "drowned" in shallow waters near Anjuna. But her mother, Fiona MacKeown, claimed her daughter had been raped and murdered citing a post-mortem examination, which found scratch marks, bruising from a blunt weapon but no water in her lungs.

A second post-mortem examination is expected this week.

Speaking in Delhi yesterday, Soni said that she condemned the local police report on Miss Keeling's death.

"I condemn what has happened. It is shocking and embarrassing. There will be a full investigation," she said.

In a separate statement, Chaudhary said that any cover-up would be exposed. "If the police are trying to cover up, those involved should be brought to book," she said.

Last night, Goa's Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, was reported as saying that foreign women who visited the state should take more responsibility for their personal safety.

"Foreign tourists have to be careful. They can't just do these things and then blame the government for the consequences. You can't expect the government to provide police on the beaches after midnight," he said.

Ten British holidaymakers have died in Goa since the beginning of the year, four of them in suspicious circumstances.

ANI