Preliminary police investigations found Briton Sara Elizabeth Groves had been stabbed to death as she had multiple stab wounds and a knife was found next to her. She may have resisted sexual assault, a police official said, adding that the suspect smashed the latch on the houseboat cabin door before the attack.
“He may have forced himself into the woman’s room last night and assaulted her. The door of the room in which she was staying was found broken,” a police officer said.
Immediately after the Ram Munshi Bagh police station was informed, a forensics team was deputed for collection of clues from the crime scene. The body was sent for a post-mortem examination.
During preliminary investigation it was found that another tourist, Dutch national Richard De-Wit, in his forties, was found missing from his room on the same houseboat on the Dal. He had left his belongings in his room but took his passport with him and boarded a taxi to flee the Valley. Shoda said the accused had checked into a separate room on Thursday and was the only other guest on the houseboat.
The cab driver, who was unaware of the incident, was contacted on his mobile phone and told to be careful till he reached the police checkpoint at Qazigund.