4 years on, both accused held guilty in Kerala in rape,murder of Latvian tourist
Latvian tourist rape, murder: The body was found weeks after she had gone missing in 2018.
Nearly four years after the rape and murder of a Latvian tourist in the state of Kerala, a court on Friday held both the accused in the case guilty. The 33-year-old tourist was found missing in March, and her body was found about a month later. Both the accused have been found guilty on all charges, news agency ANI reported. The incident – that had sent shockwaves across Kerala – was reported from Kovalam.
Last year, the woman’s sister had approached the high court to seek an order to speed up the trial in the case. “I want justice for my sister. But things are moving at a snail’s pace. Many assurances were given to me earlier, but all fell flat,” she had said at the time, HT had quoted her as saying in a report.
The two sisters had come to Kerala for an Ayurveda treatment in 2018. The 33-year-old was the elder of the two. She had gone missing in March and her body was found from an isolated spot near Kovalam beach on April 21; it was identified by her sister.
In May 2018, two men – an unauthorised tourist guide identified as P Udayan and one Umesh, a drug peddler – were arrested; and the case had been dragging on ever since.
