Indian police said Wednesday they had launched a murder investigation after a young Irish woman was found dead in the popular tourist state of Goa. The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was discovered in a field on Tuesday and an autopsy is being conducted to ascertain whether she was sexually assaulted, deputy superintendent Sammy Tavares of the Goan police told AFP. "Her body was found in a naked state. A case has been filed under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (murder)," he said, adding that a suspect had been arrested.
Several foreigners have died in Goa over the past decade or so, including 15-year-old British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling, whose bruised and semi-naked body was found in shallow water on a beach in 2008. The deaths, many in suspicious circumstances or from drug or alcohol abuse, have blighted the picturesque state's reputation as a tourist haven.