Irish tourist, raped, murdered in India

An Irish woman whose body was found in India's western beach resort state of Goa had been raped and strangled, police say.

The body of Danielle McLaughlin, 28, was found near the beach resorts of Canacona on Tuesday.

"The medical reports confirm she was raped before the murder," senior police officer Sammy Tavares said.

"The autopsy found the cause of death was compression of neck and cerebral damage after she was hit on the head by a beer bottle".

The suspect, identified as Vikas Bhagat, a local with a criminal background, has been arrested, and will face rape as well as murder charges, Tavares said.

"It is a sex crime. The victim had resisted Bhagat's attempts to rape her," Tavares said.

Police said Bhagat had confessed to raping the victim and later killing her to conceal the crime. He appeared before a local court on Thursday.

McLaughlin had travelled to India last month with another female friend and participated in the celebrations of Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, on Monday.

Police have alerted Irish embassy officials about the crime and media reports said some of McLaughlin's friends were flying to India.

The tiny state of Goa is among India's most popular destinations for international tourists but authorities are worried that such crimes might hit its image.

In 2008, British teenager, Scarlett Keeling, was murdered and her body was found on Anjuna beach. Two men accused in the rape and homicide were cleared by the court last year.

India has been in the spotlight in recent years over incidents of sexual violence against women.