Kerala police laughed, says beheaded tourist Liga Skromene's kin

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 24: The family of a Lithuanian tourist, whose highly decomposed body was recovered from near Kovalam, on Monday demanded a high-level probe into the circumstances leading to her death.

"We demand a special crime investigation team formed to find out what happened to Liga Skromene," her sister Ilze, told reporters here.

"We want justice for Liga," an emotional Ilze said.

ANI also reported Ilze accusing the Kerala police of trivializing her sister's disappearance when she had gone to file a missing person's report, claiming that the police laughed at her and told her that Liga will be found. 

Kerala Police had set up a special investigation team to probe into her disappearance, 10 days after the family had filed a missing complaint, she claimed.

"Only 10 days after Liga disappeared had police begun a serious probe to trace her," she said adding her sister was murdered.

A highly decomposed body, with a severed head, was recovered from Thiruvallam near Kovalam on April 21 from a bushy isolated area near a mangrove forest on the banks of Karmana river.

Police had suspected that the body was that of Liga and are awaiting DNA test reports.

Family members had recognised her by her hair and clothes.

Liga's husband, Andrews, said she could not have been where she was found on her own.

He also appealed to the local people to give any information to police if they had seen anything fishy.

"There have been 'serious lapses' in the inquiry by Kerala police," they alleged.

The state government had yesterday promised all help to the family to transport Liga's body to their native place for last rites.

The government had also promised to provide Rs five lakh as immediate relief.

Thirty-three-year-old Liga who had come for Ayurvedic treatment for depression went missing from Kovalam on March 14.

Police had formed an SIT and launched a massive search to trace Liga.They had also announced a reward of Rs two lakh for anyone providing information about the missing woman.

IG, Thiruvananthapuram range, Manoj Abraham would supervise the investigation relating to Liga's death.

DGP Loknath Behara told reporters that the truth should come out.

A woman foreign tourist had come to Kerala and died. A proper investigation will be held to bring out the truth.It is a challenge to the state police, he said.