Two arrested for rape-murder of Latvian woman in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Two men were on Thursday arrested on charges of raping and murdering a Latvian tourist who went missing from Kovalam last month, Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra said.

Accused Umesh and Udayan are relatives and were working as unregistered tourist guides, the DGP told the media.

Behra cautioned the media against reporting the woman's name since she was a rape victim.

"This is an unfortunately brutal crime and should not happen to any person. An innocent woman, for no fault of hers, lost her life... the police investigation team will be rewarded for their good work," Behra said.

Inspector General of Police Manoj Abraham, who led the probe team, said that the accused will be presented in a court here on Friday for remand.

"The woman was lured away by the accused and supplied with narcotics. She was later sexually assaulted and attacked when she resisted. The probe will continue as we want to find out if there are more people involved in the crime," said Abraham.