Two persons, found guilty of rape and murder of a foreign woman tourist near the internationally-famed tourist spot Kovalam in Kerala in 2018, were awarded double life-term by a court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
Both the convicts, Umesh, 28, and Udayan, 24, were awarded life-term for rape and murder and they will have to be in prison until death. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.65 lakh, which will be given to the family of the victim.
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The Latvian tourist was raped and murdered near Kovalam, about 15 kiloemtres from Thiruvananthapuram city, in March 2018. The victim had come down to Kerala along with her sister for Ayurveda treatment and yoga therapy. She went missing on March 14. Her body was found in a decomposed state after 38 days at an isolated area close to Kovalam.
The accused, who were local residents, took the lady to the isolated area and raped and murdered her.
Since there were no eyewitnesses to the crime, the police and prosecution could prove the crime using scientific and circumstantial evidence.
A police team led by Additional Director General of Police Manoj Abraham probed the case and advocate Mohan Raj was the special prosecutor.
The victim's sister, who was recently permitted to watch the trial online from abroad, expressed satisfaction over the verdict.
Published 06 December 2022, 08:40 IST