Panaji, Sep 22 (IANS): Clarifying that foreign tourists, particularly women have always preferred Goa as a favourite destination on account of safety and security, Goa Director General of Police (DGP) Jaspal Singh has said that the Canadian High Commission's advisory to its citizens is not based on facts.

“Although it is a part of an overall general advisory cautioning its citizens to be careful while visiting Delhi and Goa, however so far as it concerns Goa, it is not based on facts,” Singh said.

He said that the crime statistics also do not support the contention of the advisory. “Particularly, in the current year till September 15, there has only been one incident where a foreign women tourist belonging to the Netherlands was a victim and the accused was arrested. Similarly, in the year 2022, there were only two cases -- one relating to a Russian national and the other to a British national. In both the cases the accused were immediately arrested,” he said.

“Therefore, the Canadian advisory is not based on facts. Moreover, the high diplomatic staff belonging to various countries who visit Goa have always complimented Goa about the safe and secure environment it provides to tourists visiting Goa from all parts of the world,”Singh said.

“Significantly, the last time a crime was committed against a Canadian citizen was in 2015. Thereafter, no Canadian citizen was ever a victim of crime. It shows that this advisory is malicious, malafide and not based on facts and appears to have been issued on account of extraneous reasons,” he said.