Thiruvananthapuram, May 4 (IANS): The Congress on Friday said that the murder of a Latvian woman tourist at Kovalam had dented the image of Kerala and could affect tourism in the state.

Congress President M.M. Hassan said that the attitude of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the way the Kerala Police initially showed restraint to take up the complaint from the victim's sister had brought a bad name to the state.

"The way Vijayan initially responded and the manner in which the police failed to act immediately has led to a situation that could affect the image of Kerala tourism," he said in a statement.

The 33-year-old victim, her partner Andrew and Ilzie had arrived in Kerala for ayurvedic treatment at a facility on Thiruvananthapuram's outskirts when she went missing on March 14.

On April 20, her highly decomposed body was found in a marshy area near the famed Kovalam tourist destination. An autopsy pointed to strangulation.