Latvian woman murder: Accused sent to custody

Thiruvananthapuram: The police on Friday received in custody Umesh and Udayan who were arrested and remanded for allegedly raping and murdering a Latvian woman. They will remain in police custody until May 17 for gathering more evidence. The police also suspects the involvement of more people in the incident.  

High drama prevailed at Neyyatinkara court on Friday after the relatives of the accused claimed that they were illegally kept in custody for a week. They were ousted based on the directions of a judge after the family tried to take the protest into the courtroom. Later, the accused also stated before the court that they were physically abused by policemen during the interrogation.

“Many in the area, including the duo, were summoned and released several times by police for interrogation. Obviously, they were summoned too frequently and were with policemen for longer. This does not mean that we had their custody continuously,” a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, the lawyers of Neyyatinkara court barred media persons' entry on court premises and insisted that videography should be restricted outside the gate. According to the police, the accused took the Latvian tourist to a vacant plot near Thiruvallam and sexually abused her before strangulating her to death.