The relatives of a Latvian woman who was found dead at Kovalam last week turned the heat on the Kerala government and police when they said that the police did a shoddy job on their complaint. Responding to an allegation that Liga’s partner and sister were not allowed to meet the chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan said that he had had no visitors. Director general of police Lokanath Behera is yet to respond to a claim that he refused to treat the case sympathetically.
Liga Skromane, aged 33, went missing from Thiruvananthapuram on March 14. The body was found at a mangrove forest at Chenthilakkari near Vazhamuttom on April 20.
Aswathi, a social activist who had accompanied Liga’s partner and sister in their desperate search, stood by the allegations and said that she was pained by the chief minister’s attempts to portray her as a problem maker.
“How could they lie like this?” asked the activist who runs a voluntary association named Jwala. “They have a face inside their offices and another when they meet the media. The DGP was so arrogant when we met him,” Aswathi said.
“When an actress retorted to a sexual advance inside a train, the DGP felicitated her in his office and the chief minister lauded her. But look how they responded in this case. I represent a respectable association that works for the people thrown into the street. Still I was branded as an RSS member. That pained me. How can he (the chief minister) act like a common politician.
“We were helping a man who lost his wife in an alien land and found himself helpless when faced with unsympathetic authorities. The chief minister should not have said what he said.”
!['Mr CM, you shouldn't have said that' 'Mr CM, you shouldn't have said that'](/content/dam/mm/en/news/kerala/images/2018/4/24/liga-sister-ilez-andrew.jpg.image.784.410.jpg)
“Liga’s husband Andrews and sister Ilze had been imploring the police to find her somehow. Disappointed with the police investigation, Andrews was searching for Liga by himself when someone told him about Jwala. He was told that Jwala could help them because of its work among street dwellers and mentally ill.
“He thought Liga had been wandering somewhere. We joined him in searching for her because we could see there was no one to help him. Me and my colleagues accompanied that husband and that sister day and night until Liga’s body was found. Still the chief minister brushed us off as RSS workers!
We accompanied Andrews to several places despite warnings from the police. Andrews believed that Liga could be in an abandoned temple or building. We went to several such places. The police had warned us not to take into confidence the men guarding such establishments. Still we went.”
!['Mr CM, you shouldn't have said that' 'Mr CM, you shouldn't have said that'](/content/dam/mm/en/news/kerala/images/2018/4/24/liga-husband-and-sister.jpg.image.784.410.jpg)
“Sometimes, Andrews found it impossible to hold back. Once he barged into an abandoned building, calling out for Liga, and started kicking the doors and walls. We somehow managed to pacify him. There were so many painful moments like that. We had searched for her up to 2 am or 3 am several nights. I was the only woman in the team when we searched in the Adimalathura area.
“How can (the chief minister) make such an irresponsible statement? He is not just any individual. He is the chief minister of Kerala. That statement has singed us. Just think about it. We have nothing to gain by helping in the search for Liga. But we could understand the pain of someone who lost his dear ones, that too someone who had a history of depression.
“We joined Andrews and Ilze in the name of humanity. How can the chief minister brand anyone as RSS workers only because they differ with the government’s errors. I am neither angry nor resentful but I am pained. We might still see such tragedies in future. There might be more humane people who stand up. Will they also be considered RSS workers?
!['Mr CM, you shouldn't have said that' 'Mr CM, you shouldn't have said that'](/content/dam/mm/en/news/kerala/images/2018/4/24/liga-aswathy.jpg.image.784.410.jpg)
“Many people called me up after the chief minister and the director general of police denied the allegations. Naturally anyone would be confused by the dramatic and strong responses.
“But just think what do I stand to gain by provoking them. The DGP’s office might have a surveillance camera. It might tell the truth.
“I was the one to take Andrews and Ilze to the chief minister and the DGP. I was hopeful, until we were allowed inside the DGP’s office. I am at a loss of words when describing the situation. He was not the man we had seen so far. His speech and body language was steeped in arrogance.
“Andrews is more emotional. But Ilze is a bold woman. They were explaining their situation in a very courteous way. But the DGP refused to listen to them. He insisted that the police were doing whatever was needed. He almost chided them for wandering in search of Liga.
“Andrews lost it then. He asked Behera what would he do if his wife went missing on a beach. Would he sit tight leaving everything to the police? He said that he had lost all faith in the police and stomped out of the room, leaving Behera to ease his arrogant posture.
“Ilze is a very bold woman. Still she cried in front of the police officer. You could imagine the frightful situation. I had no words to console her.
“Andrews keeps a diary. He has jotted down every single experience in his search for Liga. He said that he never wanted to forget the experiences, both contemptible and commendable, in Kerala. That diary has everything. But you have to be steel-willed to read it. You have to step into his shoes.
“Liga was the public relation officer of a hotel. Andrews works for an NGO for farmers. Ilze runs a beauty parlour. They have visited India several times. They were in so much love of the country. They trusted in ayurveda.
“Liga was sleep deprived. She turned to spirituality when depression deepened. That is how she went to the Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt. But she could not adjust to the lifestyle in the ashram. So she shifted to a resort at Varkala and visited Dharma at Pothankode every day for treatment.
“Ilze said that the treatment had benefited Liga. She was calm again. Ilze cannot believe that her sister could commit suicide as the police claims.
“She is adamant on pursuing the fight for her sister. She would get the body examined again in Latvia if the post-mortem in Kerala fails to issue a convincing report. As long as they are adamant on their resolve, we will stand by them no matter the allegations.
“I have to say that the chief minister’s likening me to an RSS worker has pained me. But I am sure about one thing. Even after finding his beloved dead in Kerala, Andrews had some good words about the state because of the work done by us.”
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