The partner of the Latvian woman who was raped and murdered in Kerala last month said on Saturday that he was unhappy with the police investigation of the case and was awaiting the outcome of his petition where he has sought a CBI probe.
"The tourism department hijacked the memorial service held in Thiruvananthapuram last month and did not allow us to take part in it fully. The police is also appearing to be making false accusations," Andrew told reporters.
Andrew also expressed his displeasure over not meeting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Although the police have arrested two people in connection to the case, Andrew on Friday approached the Kerala High Court seeking a CBI probe.
In his petition, he argued that although the police had said that four people were involved in the crime, they had only arrested two people so far.
The 33-year-old woman, who reached Kerala in February this year along with her younger sister, went missing on March 14. At the end of a month-long search, her decomposed body was recovered from Thiruvananthapuram in the last week of April.
On April 20, her highly decomposed body was found in a marshy area near the famed Kovalam tourist destination. An autopsy pointed to strangulation. The police later confirmed that she had been subjected to sexual assault.
Days after her body was found, the police arrested two men in connection with the crime. The Special Investigating Team (SIT) arrested Udayan (24) and Umesh (28), for allegedly murdering and sexually assaulting the woman. Umesh, who is a local tourist guide, is the first accused in the case . Both the accused have been booked for murder, rape and under section 20 B of The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act.)
Her murder had caused anger in Kerala, with the lack of safety of foreign tourists in the state, attracting criticism.
IANS inputs