Panaji: One more tourist died late on Sunday night at the recently concluded Sunburn Klassique EDM festival in Goa.
“The deceased Sandeep Kotta, 24, is a resident of Bengaluru. He collapsed while enjoying EDM music at the festival and died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital,” Goa Police told ANI.
This comes after two youngsters — Sai Prasad Malayala and Venkat Satyanarayana from Andhra Pradesh died outside the music festival venue after they fainted on Friday. A post mortem conducted subsequently, could not reveal the exact cause of death. The viscera extracted from the two bodies had been sent for further forensic examination, police said.
However, leader of opposition in Goa Assembly, Digambar Kamat on Sunday urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to take up the issue of drug menace “seriously” before the “Bhasmasura of drugs” converts the state into ashes.
“It is important to understand that ‘Narcotic Drugs’ is a curse to mankind… The whole of Goa knows about the drug menace which has hit the entire Goa. The drugs have reached in far remote areas of this tiny state… I urge Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to act before the ‘Bhasmasura of Drugs’ converts Goa into ashes. Let us not brand Goa as ‘Drug Destination’,” Congress leader and MLA from Margao, Kamat said in a press statement.
“It is high time that the Government takes this issue seriously before it is too late. Everyone should realise that drugs can finish everything and needs to be vigilant. I once again urge all across party lines to stand united to eliminate this demon of drugs,” he said.
Raising the issue of deaths of two tourists from Andhra Pradesh outside the venue of Sunburn Festival, the Congress leader said, “It is shocking to hear about Goa Police throwing a challenge to people to reveal information about drugs. Truth is always bitter, let us face it and take corrective and prompt action.”
“How can police make announcements when post mortem reports are yet to be made public about the cause of two deaths due to suspected overdose of drugs on Friday. This is a clear cut attempt of influencing the investigations,” he said.