Thiruvananthapuram: When the headless body was found at Vazhamuttom, Liga Skormane's partner Andrew Jordan and her sister Ilze Skormane were conducting their own search in Kasargod, not believing in the police version that she might have been drowned.
The body turned up close to where Ms Lisa was last spotted before going missing, further buttressing Mr Jordan's demand for a localised land-based search. However, initial police probe was based on an assumption that she might have drifted off to the sea in an inebriated stage. On Saturday, a distraught Mr Jordan could only sit at the spot where body was found.
While the police officers said that they are probing every possibilities connected to the tourist's death, family members claimed it was murder. "There's been a constant effort to brush things under carpet, pointing at the depression angle," said Ilze.
The police mahasar pointed out to the presence of Odollum, a toxic fruit found plenty where the body was. The family, on the other hand, suspect murder and did not even want the autopsy to be done at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH).
The family's worst fears came true at the MCH mortuary when Liga's dress was draped on male body. "Post-autopsy, police wanted the family to confirm the ownership of clothes. They were showed the clothes which was then covering a male body. The distraught family came out saying that they do not believe in the system here," said Ashwathy Nair, an activist who accompanied the family.
Meanwhile, police officials said that they would comment only after receiving the autopsy report. "She needs to pass a dense settlement to reach here. She could have come here at night with or without someone," police official said.
