Thiruvananthapuram: Mystery surrounding the death of 33-year-old Liga Skromane, a Latvian woman whose decomposed body was found from near Kovalam, is getting deeper. Doctors of the forensic department of the Medical College Hospital here have told the police that she could have died due to asphyxiation - the state or process of being deprived of oxygen. It is learned that the doctors have also ruled out rape.
After the doctors' statements, the special investigation team is also probing the murder angle.The police were quick to conclude it as a case of suicide, brushing aside chances of any foul play. However, the family members of the Latvian woman alleged that it was a murder.
Liga’s partner Andrew Jordan and her sister Ilze Skromane have reiterated that there was mystery behind the death and that it was not a case of suicide.
Three main questions
• Circumstantial evidence points at foul play. It was not possible for Liga to reach alone at the mangrove forest from where the body was found. Family alleges that someone would have taken her to the spot and murdered her.
• How did the jacket, which was not there when she went missing, was found on the body
• How did head get severed from the body
Police version
The police said that Liga could have reached the spot within half an hour by walking or by taking a boat from Kovalam. The police say it is usual for foreigners to find such places and spend time.
By gathering the circumstantial evidence, the police are saying that Liga could have reached the isolated spot to commit suicide. The investigating team a conclusion based on the fact that Liga was suffering from depression and she had a history of attempting suicide in more than one occasion.
The jacket found on the body had "Made in China" on it and police say that such jackets are available at shops in Kovalam. The police are trying get evidence to establish the claim that she could have purchased it after she got down at Kovalam from an auto.
Regarding the decapitated body, the police say this can happen as the body got decomposed. The doctor, who conducted the post-mortem, has backed this as no injury mark was there on the neck or body.
The 33-year-old, who had come for Ayurvedic treatment for depression, went missing from Kovalam on March 14. The highly decomposed body, with head severed, was found from a deserted mangrove near Kovalam last week. While her family has recognised the body from her hair and clothes, DNA results are awaited to fully confirm if the body was indeed that of Liga.
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