Thiruvananthapuram: A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will on December 22 deliver its verdict on the murder of Sister Abhaya, whose body was found inside a convent well in Kerala’s Kottayam town 28 years ago.
The court is expected to rule on the matter at 11 am.
Among the accused is Father Thomas Kottoor, who had taught Sister Abhaya psychology at Kottayam’s BCM College. Kottoor, who was arrested in 2008, was also secretary to the then Bishop. He later rose to be chancellor of the Archdiocese of Kottayam.
Another accused, Sister Sephy, stayed in the same hostel with Sister Abhaya, who was only 21 at the time of her death.
The victim’s parents died four years ago.
According to the CBI, Sister Abhaya witnessed intimate contacts between Kottoor, another Father, Jose Poothrikkayil, and Sephy on March 27, 1992.
This happened when Sister Abhaya went from her hostel room to the kitchen at around 4:15 am. The accused allegedly hit Sister Abhaya with a blunt object and threw her body in to the well to cover-up the crime.
Father Poothrikkayil, one of those initially accused, was acquitted by a CBI special court in 2018. However, discharge petitions of the other two – Kottoor and Sephy – were rejected.
Police and Crime Branch officials initially labeled the incident “death by suicide” and the case was transferred to the CBI amid protests and petitions. The central agency’s first three final reports were rejected by the court, which wanted a more thorough investigation.
The court pointed to various discrepancies, including the fact that dogs did not bark that night, the fact that the kitchen door was latched from outside and that residents of the convent did not hear the sound of Sister Abhaya “falling” into the well.
In November 2008 the CBI arrested all three accused.
Human rights activist Jomon Puthenpurackal is the lone surviving member of the panel that fought for justice for Sister Abhaya.
There are many unheard victims in the parish campuses and convent campuses similar to Sr. Abhaya’s case and never resolved due to the strong influence of the Catholic higher authorities. The victims are forced to remain silent because the ordinary people believe the “dressed up hierarchy”almost blindly and not believe the victims. A lot of times many unethical incidents happen in the convents and the parish premises but goes by unheard. Hopefully, the incident of Sr. Abhaya will encourage the victims of such injustice to open up their mouths.