Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR: A young British woman has been murdered allegedly by a Dutch tourist in a houseboat on the Dal Lake in Srinagar.
Police say De-wit Richard, 43, tried to flee the valley but was arrested at Qazigund, nearly 80 kms from Srinagar, the main city of Kashmir valley.
“It appears the woman was raped and then killed by the Dutchman with a knife,” a senior police officer told freepress.
“But we will know for sure after the post mortem of the girl and further investigations.”
Sarah Elizabeth, 23, had been staying in the houseboat for the past two months, police say. They say Richard had checked in only two days ago.
He entered Elizabeth’s room late on Friday night and allegedly committed the crime.
The houseboat staff found her dead early this morning and informed the police.
Police found that Richard was the only foreign tourists who had hired a car from a nearby taxi stand.
“We spoke to the cab driver on his cell phone and got the fleeing Dutch tourist arrested with his help,” the police officer said. He said the tourist had abandoned his luggage at the houseboat.
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