HC for special cell to handle foreign tourists’ deaths

PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa on Friday said the government should review the ‘mysterious deaths’ of foreign tourists in the state on a priority basis and consider setting up a special cell headed by a senior officer to deal with such investigations. The court made the statement while ordering the transfer of the murder case of Swedish national Felix Dahl to the CBI.
“The state may consider not to let such investigations remain in the hands of local police alone,” said Justices N M Jamdar and Prithviraj Chavan, adding that deaths of foreign nationals “cannot be left in the realm of suspicion”.



The court took note of the “extensive coverage of mysterious deaths of tourists in Goa in the international media” and highlighted the need to instill confidence in investigations and in the administration of justice.

Dahl’s mother Minna Pirhonen had approached the high court seeking a probe by the premier investigating agency as she was unhappy with the ‘shoddy’ probe conducted by the Canacona police. Dahl was found dead under mysterious circumstances on a tarred road at Patnem in January 2015. Police said he had an accidental fall.

Referring to the “alarming” issue highlighted by Pirhonen, the court took note of RTI applications revealing hundreds of deaths of foreign tourists in the state over the last decade. “Many of the deaths are put down as accidents, natural deaths or suicides and there is an outcry about such conclusions,” the court stated. “Inept and prejudiced investigations damage the perception about the existence of the rule of law. Therefore lapses such as the present one not only remain a local phenomenon, but ramifications traverse into the national and international sphere,” the judgement said, adding that “not only the rule of law must exist, but all attempts must be made to ensure that it is seen to exist.”

Pointing out that Goa attracts a large number of foreign tourists, the court said the state government that is taking various initiatives to encourage regulated tourism at the national and international level should also focus on safety. “An essential concomitant of any tourism policy is the safety of the tourists. A tourist, unfamiliar with new surroundings, is more vulnerable to crime, if not adequately protected. While choosing a tourist destination, the perception of safety and security at the destination is one of the dominant factors,” the court stated.