Decomposed Body With Severed Head Is Of Missing Latvian Woman: DNA Test

Thiruvananthapuram: After a frantic search by her family and the police, the Latvian tourist who had gone missing for over a month from an Ayurvedic centre in Kerala, has been traced. The DNA samples of Latvian tourist have reportedly matched those of a body found near a mangrove forest at Thiruvallam. The highly decomposed body was found hanging upside down from a tree, with the head severed. 

A bone sample from the woman's body and her sister's blood samples were tested at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio-Technology at Thiruvananthapuram. It was a 100 percent match, according to sources. 
 
"The bone sample was taken from the body as the tissues had decomposed," the sources said. The report was apparently submitted to the sub-judicial magistrate's court in a sealed cover. 

Although the victim's sister had identified the body which was found on April 21, police were waiting for the forensic tests to be completed for an official confirmation.

33-year-old woman had come to India along with her sister for an ayurvedic treatment. She was said to be suffering from chronic depression. The sisters were staying at Dharma Ayurvedic and Healing Centre in Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram since February 21. 

On March 14, her sister had stepped out of the centre to shop for a few provisions. On her return, she found her sister to be missing. The victim's sister had stated that her sister left without any money or identity cards.

After victim's sister narrated the matter to the victim's husband, he came down to Kerala to trace his missing wife. Both the victim's husband and her sister informed the police and launched a massive search on social media. They had announced an award of rupees 2 lakhs for tracing the missing woman. 

Unable to find any clues, the Kerala police had then set up a special investigation team or SIT to locate the woman.