While the world was celebrating Youth Day on Thursday, an eerie silence descended over Goa as a 19-year-old girl from Nachinola was found dead on the Calangute beach in a semi-nude state. There was an air of palpable fear and anxiety and the ghastly memories of the horrific Scarlett Keeling case of 2008 were coming back to haunt.
There seems to be a distinct non-belief in the police version of the story with villagers suspecting foul play. Even the veracity of the post-mortem report is being questioned. While police have swung into action trying to connect the dots, the hurry in proceeding with cremation is intriguing. Agreed that the sentiments of the family must be respected, but this death is reported under unusual circumstances and needs a thorough probe.
This case has stunned the State into silence because it brought to mind the sensational Scarlett Keeling death where the semi-nude body of the British teenager was found on Anjuna beach in the wee hours of February 18, 2008. If we may recall, the police had concluded then that her death was accidental. It was only after her family insisted on a second post-mortem report in March that revealed that she was sexually assaulted before drowning, the case took a completely different turn. Of course, death by drowning was established, but what led to Scarlett’s death proved critical to the case.
In the instant case, a lot needs to be probed, including the mystery behind her disappearance, the persons she contacted in the interim till the semi-nude status of the body, and most importantly the ‘motive’ behind the death. The cremation has only closed the option of a second autopsy. In a tiny State like Goa, such deaths bring in a wave of suspicion along with despondency. A daughter of the State has died in the most unacceptable way, and which is why every angle must be thoroughly probed before concluding it as a case of ‘suicide’.
While questions will continue to be raised over the probe, one factor that would remain constant is beach safety. It was barely a fortnight back when two girls were gang-raped at Benaulim beach on the night of July 25. We have a girl found mysteriously dead on Calangute beach. Deaths along the coastline and crimes along the belt continue to expose surveillance. Vigilance along the shores is a subject matter that has to be taken seriously and consistently. The police force cannot wake up from their slumber only after there's a death or a sexual assault on beaches, there has to be heightened surveillance at all times.
While there is a need to respect the privacy of the grief-stricken Nachinola family and understand the trauma they are going through, the police cannot take refuge under their emotional pain and rush into closing the case. There has to be a thorough investigation.
