In a fresh development in the death of Lithuanian tourist Liga Skromene, police today indicated that strangulation could be a reason for her death.
"One reason could be manual strangulation. The rest of the reasons will be known only in the forensic report", City Police commissioner P Prakash told reporters here.
Meanwhile, police have questioned several persons in connection with the crime.
At least four persons are in police custody in connection with the death of the tourist, whose highly decomposed body was found on April 21 from deserted mangrove forest at nearby Kovalam.
Fingerprint experts have also collected samples from a small boat found in the area.
Yesterday, the DNA test had confirmed the decomposed body to be that of Liga.
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Police are awaiting the forensic report which will give an indication on the cause of her death.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran in a Facebook post, slammed the authorities of the Ayurveda resort at Pothencode for allowing Liga to leave for Kovalam on April 14 despite knowing she was suffering from acute depression.
Liga had left for Kovalam on that day, following which she went missing.
"The government and tourism department will take strong action against the resort", he said.
"Each visitor coming to Kerala is our guest. Their security is our responsibility", he said.
Yesterday the state government had handed over Rs five lakh solatium to Liga's sister.
The highly decomposed body, with head severed, was recovered from Thiruvallam near Kovalam from a bushy isolated area near a mangrove forest on the banks of Karmana river on April 21.
Liga's husband Andrews and sister Ilze and had identified the body by the clothes and hair and had demanded a high-level probe into the circumstances leading to her death.
The Kerala police had set up a Special Investigation Team to probe her disappearance and also announced a reward of Rs two lakh to anyone providing information about the missing woman.
The state government has also promised all help to the family to airlift Liga's body to their native place for the final rites.
Thirty three-year-old Liga, who had come to Kerala for ayurvedic treatment for depression, went missing from Kovalam on March 14.