“In response to the blast, alerts have been issued across all states. Inspections and security checks have been heightened in various locations, including Goa. We have implemented precautionary measures to ensure law and order,” the chief minister remarked.
He indicated that the investigation would unveil the sequence of events that led to the explosion. “The Union Home Minister personally surveyed the incident site and met with the victims,” he noted.
Also read | Goa govt orders strict action after viral video shows foreign tourists being harassed
Recognized as India’s beach capital, Goa attracts a significant number of domestic and international visitors. Tourists flock to the state in large numbers from November to March, coinciding with festivities such as New Year celebrations and the International Film Festival of India.
In a related incident, the Goa police apprehended three men from neighboring Karnataka days after a viral social media video depicted them allegedly harassing two female foreign tourists on a beach, officials reported on November 12.
The video captured the men attempting to take pictures with the women and pressuring them to pose with their hands on the men’s shoulders at Arambol beach in North Goa.
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Given the sensitive nature of the issue and its potential impact on the perceived safety of tourists in the state, the Goa Tourist Police filed a complaint based on the video clip, an official stated.
In response to the complaint, the Mandrem police registered an FIR under sections 126 (2) (wrongful restraint) and 74 (assault or the use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on November 7.
A specialized team from the Mandrem police station initiated an extensive manhunt and tracked the suspects to Mysuru and Bengaluru in Karnataka using technical surveillance and local contacts, he explained.
The arrested individuals were identified as Karthik B R (28), B N Santhosha (33), and Ravi B N, all residents of Ravandur Hobli in Piriyapatna Bhoganahalli in Mysuru district, he disclosed.
They were arrested at their home by the police team. The specifics of the operation were not revealed earlier to prevent alerting the suspects, the police added.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
