Goa party over: No loud music after 10 p.m.

Panaji, Aug 14 (IANS) No music events or rave parties will be allowed in North Goa's popular beach-belt after 10 p.m., police said on Monday, claiming drugs are being sold at late night music events in the state.

Speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Chandan Choudhury said a large number of young domestic tourists were visiting the coastal state on account of the long weekend holiday and some of them carried party drugs.

"In the coming days, no party will be allowed in open places and after the 10 p.m. deadline. Where there is music, there is possibility of drugs and over-consumption of liquor. We will make sure that we adhere to this time limit of ten," Choudhury said.

"It cannot be ruled out that drugs are freely available to youngsters and for the weekend a lot of youngsters have come over from Kerala, Bengaluru, Hyderabad. Some of them carry drugs with them, when they come to party and then consume it. We are doing a crackdown on that," he said.

The meeting at the state Secretariat was called by Parrikar after two youngsters died due to suspected drug overdose while partying in North Goa's Anjuna village, around 20 km from here.

Choudhury said that even after the post-mortem of the two deceased from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the exact cause of death was unclear. But he added the "possibility of drug overdose cannot be ruled out".