THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police team investigating the murder of Latvian tourist Liga Skromane has met with an unexpected challenge: The non-cooperative local population of Panathura and nearby areas who refuse to be part of the investigation, sources said.The police felt the presence of its personnel in large numbers and the negative press the area got during the course of investigation has prompted the public to go into their shells.
To overcome this handicap, the police will fix complaint boxes in the area to embolden those who are willing to share information without giving away their identities.“We have decided to place a few boxes in the area to encourage those who want to protect their identity but willing to share information,” said one of the investigating officers.The body of Liga with her head decapitated was found at a mangrove forest near Panathura on April 20.
With the autopsy report clearly indicating Liga’s reason of death as murder due to strangulation, the police were of the view the murder could have been committed by anti-social elements in the locality.
However, the investigation has made little progress courtesy the local population who stonewalled the police questioning.
“We are yet to find make any progress. The public is not cooperating enough,” reckoned City Police Commissioner P Prakash. The police sources said the locals were a closely-knit group and there have been concerted attempts to prevent people from talking to the police. “Most of them are not talking and those who are talking, we are unsure whether it’s for helping the police. The authenticity of some statements are under doubt,” the sources added.
Though the police had announced a cash reward to the tune of R2 lakh for those who provide information when Liga went missing from Kovalam, the announcement failed to elicit any response from the local population. “When you can’t elicit a response even after offering them rewards, you can understand how they are going to react to the investigation,” said the officer.