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A heartbroken man whose girlfriend was raped, strangled and strung up on a tree metres from a 'paradise' tourist beach has slammed the Indian legal system as "a total farce" after those accused of her murder are still walking free.

Andrew Jordan travelled to India for the case but was horrified when the two men accused of his late partner, Liga Skromane's vicious rape and murder, did not even turn up in court last Thursday.

Their absence has caused further delays to the trial, which may now be postponed until next year.

Speaking to Mirror Online, Andrew, 42, said: "Why are they out on bail in the first place?

(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

"If those guys did what they are accused of doing to Liga then they are animals and they should not be allowed to roam the streets.

"If they are guilty then they are a clear danger to other women."

Liga was seeking treatment for PTSD with her sister at a wellness retreat in the southern Indian state of Kerala when she disappeared on March 14 last year.

The 33-year-old's headless body was found almost 40 days later in a swampy mangrove forest close to where she was last seen in a rickshaw near a popular tourist beach.

The Latvian national had been living with her long-term partner Andrew Jordan in Ireland before her death.

(Image: SWNS)

A police investigation led to the arrest of two men, known only by their first names of Umesh and Udayan, who were charged with first-degree murder and rape but were released on bail until a trial date is set.

A trial date was supposed to be set last Thursday but now a new hearing has been scheduled for June 12 when the accused will be read their charge sheets and a date for their trial date should be set.

Andrew said that the slow pace of the Indian justice system has been discouraging.

(Image: Getty)

"It's been almost one year since Liga's body was recovered," he said.

"We were promised that Liga's case was being fast-tracked but the hearing just to set a date for the trial has been postponed already. It's ridiculous.

"I try not to let it get to me but the delays just prove that it's not really being taken seriously.

"The defence are using the usual tactic of delaying the case. It's so frustrating.

(Image: SWNS)

"The two accused are alleged to have confessed to the crime.

"We were told that the police have an airtight case against them so why are they allowed out on bail?

"It's a total farce."

Andrew said that being back in India - where he was still desperately searching for Liga this time last year - has been very difficult emotionally.

"It's hard," he said. "All these memories come flooding back with every thing I see that reminds me of Liga.

"I don't know how much longer I can take it out here."

(Image: SWNS)

Andrew was in India on the first anniversary of Liga's disappearance on March 14.

He went to a memorial service for Daniella McLoughlin, the 28-year-old backpacker who was raped and murdered in the neighbouring state of Goa exactly one year previously.

He said: "Everyone got together to remember Danielle and it ended up being for Liga too.

"But although Liga went missing on March 14, I don't think she was killed until early April."

"The official police theory is that she was killed the day she disappeared, but I showed photos of her remains to independent forensic scientists and they told me that the state of decomposition looked like she had been dead for 20 to 25 days, 30 days at the very most - not 40 days as police contest.

(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

“And if she had been in that mangrove forest where she was eventually found for weeks someone would have seen her or would have smelt the body much sooner.

"People go there to forage and to drink alcohol and take drugs. There’s a well worn path through the area and there’s a house about 100m away.

"So every day now I keep thinking, 'was it today that she was killed this time last year? Was it yesterday or will it be tomorrow?

(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

"I feel that there's an awful lot more to the story that the police are not revealing. "

For now, Andrew said that he's focused on campaigning for justice for Liga from home.

He said: "My main objective now is to build a campaign to secure justice for Liga. I need to organise fundraisers and form a plan of attack. I also want to find a good lawyer in India who understands the inside mechanics of the justice system here.

"I've been speaking to other families who have had daughters, nieces and nephews killed while on holiday in India. When you look at these cases you start to see a very similar pattern between them all."