Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 7: The Dutch national, who has allegedly killed a British woman in Dal lake yesterday was remanded to 10 day police custody today while the Jammu and Kashmir police shot a letter to Netherlands Embassy asking it to check the criminal record of its national who faces murder charges in Jammu and Kashmir.
Police today produced the Dutch national, Richard De Wit before the Judicial Magistrate in Srinagar who sent him to 10 day police remand to complete the investigations into the murder of 24-year old British tourist, Sarah Groves.
Sarah Groves was girl friend of houseboat owner’s son, Sameer Shoda and was murdered yesterday morning in the houseboat allegedly by Dutch national, Richard De Wit.
Sarah, a keen climber and charity fundraiser, had been staying on the boat for two months after beginning a relationship with Sameer while on holiday in Goa few years ago. She was frequent visitor to Shoda’s houseboat.
Police says that Richard has confessed his crime and they are now looking at motive behind the crime. Police feels that Richard seems to be mentally unstable and may be a psychopath. The nature of the victim’s injuries has added to their assumptions. She was stabbed at least 45 times, especially near the genetalia.
Police have written a letter to the Netherlands Embassy to ascertain whether Richard has any other past history of violence in his own country. Police have not been able to confirm if the victim was raped. They have, however, sent the swabs for examination and are waiting for the autopsy report.
Sources said that United Kingdom has offered consular assistance to the family of the murder British woman. The woman’s body is in hospital mortuary and is still in Srinagar after autopsy was conducted on it yesterday.
The murdered woman had been planning to leave Kashmir this week for a trekking trip in Nepal. She was found dead on the houseboat by houseboat owners.
Sameer normally used to share Sarah’s room but was out on the night she was murdered. She was part of Shoda family and was helping them in cooking and other house hold works.
Although police ruled out Sameer’s involvement in the crime but he has also been detained by police to help them in investigations.
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