Goa festival death: Isha Mantry was drunk insists minister

Paji, December 31: Even as forensic experts are conducting a post–mortem on the body of 27–year–old Isha Mantry, who died under mysterious circumstances at a music festival Monday night, Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar on Wednesday repeatedly insisted that the Bollywood designer was “drunk” way after the event wound up.

Speaking to reporters here, Parulekar, who in the recent past had threatened to ban Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festivals if any trace of drugs was found onsite said: “The Supersonic event shut down at 10 p.m. The incident happened at 11.30 p.m. What I know is that the girl was drinking alcohol till 11 p.m.”.

Mantry, who was the costume designer for Priyanka Chopra–starrer ‘Mary Kom’, had landed in Goa along with more than a dozen friends Dec 26.

She was partying at the Vh1 Supersonic EDM event held at Candolim beach, when she fainted Monday night and was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital.

While the police, quoting her friends, claim she was under medication, the opposition has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

“The local police are hand–in–glove with the drug dealers. We want a CBI probe into Mantry’s unfortute death,” tiolist Congress Party state vice president Trajano D’Mello told a press conference Wednesday.

Parulekar said Mantry’s death is linked to alcohol consumption, something he believes will be clear once the post mortem report is out later Wednesday evening.

“From what I know the girl was drunk, it will be clear after the post mortem. Based on this (report) Goa government and Goa Tourism will take action,” Parulekar said. (IANS)