By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police team investigating the death of the Latvian woman, who went missing from Kovalam, finally cracked the case as they arrested two history-sheeters, who head gangs in the tourist spots of Kovalam and nearby places, for strangulating the woman after subjecting her to sexual abuse. Umesh, 28, and Udayan, 24, who have been undergoing police questioning for the last few days, were arrested on Thursday after circumstantial evidences proved their involvement in the crime.

State Police Chief Loknath Behera said the homicide was done in a brutal manner and the 33-year-old was drugged and subjected to sexual assault before being strangulated. “This homicide was unfortunately very brutal. This shouldn’t happen to anyone,” said Behera. The police chief said the woman was lured by the duo who had several Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and assault cases against them from grow beach to the marshy area that had mangrove distribution. They administered her marijuana and then sexually assaulted her.

When she tried to resist, they murdered her, Behera said. Umesh has 13 criminal cases against his name and Udayan has six. Since there have been doubts the duo had committed the similar crime against other tourists and children who had visited the area, a detailed probe will be conducted in this regard.

He also hinted at more arrests. Behera patted the officers, saying those who were part of the probe will be presented with DGP’s badge of honour for their detective excellence. “It was a blind case,” said Behera. IG Manoj Abraham, who oversaw the investigation, said, “We could reach the culprits because of the sustained and scientific probe,” Manoj said.

‘Surveillance cameras must at tourist spots’

The disappearance and subsequent murder of the Latvian has brought to the fore the fragile security arrangements in tourist destinations. “The realisation that dawned on us is that the tourist spots need to be

secured. Dichotomy that we have is the tourists may not like to be scrutinised. We’ve to take into account their security as well as tourism aspects. That’s why we’ve to put up surveillance cameras in tourists spots,” said IG Manoj Abraham.