Kerala State Human Rights Commission on Tuesday directed the home secretary and state police chief to inquire into the allegations of laxity on the part of police in the probe relating to the missing Latvian woman, Liga Skromane, from Thiruvananthapuram and about her death.
The commission acting chairman P Mohandas has also directed the home secretary and state police chief to file a report on this after inquiry, within four weeks. The Commission has given the directions in a petition filed by human rights activist Shafin Kavadiar.
Shafin in his complaint said if police had launched a proper investigation in the crucial 24 hours of the woman’s disappearance on 14 March, she would not have died.
Earlier on Tuesday, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan came out against the state Human Rights Commission saying the commission only needs to stick its own business.
The commission sought a report on Latvian woman’s case soon after that Liga’s sister Ilzie has on Monday said the police could have found Liga, if they conducted a proper probe immediately after she went missing.
Blaming lethargy on the part of police, she said the police investigation was not in the right direction in the beginning. “First when we approached the DGP, he didn’t take our complaint seriously.”
However, the police said in a statement that they had done whatever possible to trace the Latvian woman.
The highly decomposed body of LigaSkromane, reported missing since 14 March, was found with her head separated at Vazhamuttam near Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.