Bangalore: The discovery of the decomposed and decapitated body of a Latvian woman more than a month after she went missing in Thiruvananthapuram has placed several questions before the Kerala government and police who could not find her alive despite fervent pleas from her family.

The body of Liga Skromane, 33, who had come to Kerala for treatment of mental illness, was found on April 20 in a secluded area near Kovalam beach that is notorious for being the den of drug addicts and goons.

Although Liga Skromane, 33, was reported missing from state capital Thiruvananthapuram on March 14, the police search did not yield any results.

Her elder sister Ilzie had earlier accused the police of not acting fast enough since the special search team was formed 10 days after Liga was reported missing.

The Kerala human rights commission on Tuesday directed the home secretary and the state police chief to probe the allegations of laxity and file a report within four weeks.

The directions were issued by commission acting chairperson P. Mohanadas on a petition by a human rights activist. According to the complainant, if the police had launched a proper investigation in the crucial 24 hours of the woman's disappearance, she would not have met this fate.

On April 20, two fishermen called up the police after spotting the decomposed and headless body in a secluded marshy spot on a riverfront a few kilometres from Kovalam beach.

While Liga's family suspects murder, Thiruvananthapuram police are waiting for the forensic examination report.

City police commissioner P. Prakash told reporters it was too early to arrive at a conclusion. "Only the forensic examination will tell us more about the nature of injuries," he said.

Liga's partner Andrew Jordan and elder sister Ilzie Skromane had identified the body from the colour of her hair and the dress.

On Tuesday, a Malayalam channel added a twist to the mystery by quoting Shaji, an autorickshaw driver who had been seen on CCTV cameras driving Liga to the beach from Thiruvananthapuram city on March 14.

He insisted that Liga was not wearing the jacket found on her body. "But for a cigarette pack, she had nothing in her hands when I dropped her," Shaji told the channel.

Ilzie had said on Monday that Liga didn't have any money to buy a jacket.

She demanded a high-level probe into the death and urged the state government to form a special police team.

The incident was reported in Ireland as the Skromene family is based in Dublin. The Irish Times carried a report quoting Andrew as saying the Skromene sisters had travelled to the Kerala capital to seek medical help for Liga's mental health issues.