A TOURIST who travelled to India to tackle her depression was drugged, raped and beheaded before her corpse was left hanging upside down in a forest.

Police have revealed Liga Skromane was lured by two men who then sexually assaulted her before butchering her body.

The 33-year-old, who was born in Latvia but lived in Dublin, Ireland, with her partner, arrived in Kerala with her sister in February.

She was hoping to be treated at one of the region’s popular ayurvedic ‘healing rejuvenation’ centres, reports NDTV.

But she went missing a few weeks after arriving in the country after heading to a local beach.

The suspected attackers — who are now in custody — are local drug dealers. One reportedly has a history of sexually abusing men and women.

Police said a post-mortem examination didn’t reveal many clues as Ms Skromane’s body was so badly decomposed.

“The victim was lured into this area, given drugs and sexually assaulted. She was murdered when she resisted,” officer Manoj Abraham told NDTV.

Footage showed her body being carried away by emergency services following the grim discovery.

Ms Skromane had been living in Ireland with her Irish partner Andrew Jordan, from Swords for five years.

The 35-year-old feared Ms Skromane had been snatched by organ harvesters and flew to Delhi in March in a desperate bid to trace her.

He told the Irish Sunday Mirror at the time: “I’ve hardly slept thinking about what could have happened to her.

“I’ve walked through those backstreets and there’s a very high chance she was abducted. There is a known organ trafficking trade from that country on the black market.

“Someone could be holding her in a cage in that 35 degree heat. This is what’s going through my head.”

According to local reports, Ms Skromane’s sister Ilze and her friends identified her by the clothes she was wearing.

She had gone missing after leaving a yoga and wellness retreat, apparently without informing her sister.

Paying tribute to her sister, Ilze told the Irish Mirror: “She has been through a lot of suffering.”

She wrote on social media: “On April 19 I was praying and praying to God to grant me one birthday wish.

“Please let me know where my sister is, please let us find her, this not knowing is so hard to bear.

“On my birthday 20th of April afternoon two local boys found my sister’s remains.

“It’s been a long journey for my sister, and she has been through a lot of suffering ... may her soul rest in peace now in the hands of all loving God.

“Our love for you My Dear Sister is eternal. We thank you all Dear Sisters and Brothers for all the love and support you have given us through this journey.”

A friend replied: “I am sorry for the loss of your Sister Liga. May she Rest In Peace. Thank God her remains were found.

“God bless those two little boys and all who raised awareness about Liga. I wish you comfort & peace.”