Date:19/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/19/stories/2008031953281200.htm

National

Kamat briefs Manmohan

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday to apprise him of the Scarlette Keeling murder case. The Prime Minister’s Office has been monitoring it.

The Prime Minister advised the Chief Minister to step up vigilance. He offered all central assistance to the State to upgrade the tourist, marine and coastal police force so that such incidents did not recur. Goa was an important international tourist destination and care should be taken to maintain its image, the Prime Minister is understood to have told Mr. Kamat.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Kamat said since so much had appeared in the media, he personally met Dr. Singh and apprised him of the details of the case. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also been kept informed about the developments.

Alleging that there was “campaign against Goa,” Mr. Kamat said the State government had stepped up vigilance and was taking a lot of precautions to see that the drug menace was controlled.

“I don’t know if there is some motive or some lobby working to blow up the case and malign an important tourist destination like Goa, but I have told the police that even if there is the slightest allegation of drugs, you crack down.”

Denying the involvement of any politician in the case or that the government did not want the visa of the victim’s mother (Fiona Mackeown) to be extended, Mr. Kamat said he was personally monitoring the case. to Goa to finalise the projects.