Don’t roam in short skirts

That's the advice issued by the British foreign office to its women travelling to Goa amid other precautionary measures

Don't roam in short skirts

That's the advice issued by the British foreign office to its women travelling to Goa amid other precautionary measures

British women travelling to Goa should refrain from wearing short skirts and avoid travelling alone in the night. That's the travel advisory issued by the British foreign office to its nationals in the wake of the unsolved mysterious death of British teenager Scarlett Keeling.

The development comes after Fiona McKeown, Scarlett's mother, met Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister for the Africa, Asia & the UN, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, last year and requested the government to issue precautionary measures to its nationals.

Swapnil Naik, director, Goa Tourism, said he had heard about the advisory issued by British foreign office from local tour operators, but claimed he had not received any official advisory as yet. Of the 126 foreign nationals who died in Goa in the last two years, nearly 40 are British nationals. This fact was confirmed by a high-ranking state police officer.

While Naik admitted the figures, he claimed that majority of the tourists had died a 'natural' death and that there was nothing mysterious about it. But when MiD DAY spoke to some British tourists, they rubbished Naik's claims and pointed out to deaths of three British nationals which were anything but natural .

'Goa is safe'
The Goa government sanctioned Rs 4.5 crore last week to the u00a0u00a0tourism department to lure foreign tourists. u00a0The money has to be spent by the end of March. Swapnil Naik, director, Goa Tourism, said the Rs 700 crore tourism industry in Goa had witnessed a fall in turnover post negative media coverage over the Scarlett Keeling episode. "We will do everythingu00a0 possible to attract the foreign tourists. Goa is 'SAFE' is our message," u00a0he said.

How Fiona accessedu00a0 Scarlett's e-mail
Fiona McKeown's lawyer Vikram Verma says Fiona tried to open Scarlett's u00a0e-mail account, but failed. However, in the process, she came across her other id scarley@live.in which was locked. In October, 2008, Fiona wrote to Microsoft, US, stating that she wanted the content of her daughter's e-mail, as her daughter was murdered in India. In response, Microsoft asked her to establish her relationship with the u00a0e-mail account holder and the proof of Scarlett's death. After Fiona sent the proof and the death certificate, Microsoft sent Fiona a CD containing details of the e-mail in November. A copy of the CD was later handed over to CBI.

Foreign nationals found dead in Goa
> The semi-clad body of Scarlett Keeling (15) from North Devon, UK, was found on Anjuna beach on February 18, 2008. The police initially suspected that the death was due to drowning. But a second u00a0autopsy confirmed rape and concluded that her death was due to overdose u00a0u00a0of drugs.
> Bayet Florence (29), a French woman, was found dead in a trailer parked near Vagator beach, while a man believed to be her companion was lying unconscious next to her on December 22, 2008.
> Michael Harvey (34), a British national, was found dead on his bed on March 1, 2008 in a beach hut near Ashwem beach, a popular backpacker haunt about half an hour's drive north of Anjuna.

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