Kochi: Human rights activist Jomon Puthanpurakkal on July 8 moved the Kerala High Court questioning the parole granted to two life-term convicts in Sister Abhaya murder case, Father Thomas Kotoor and Sister Sefi.

Both were released on 90-day special parole in May citing the recommendations of the committee constituted by the Supreme Court in view of the pandemic situation.

The prisons department had released over 1500 prisoners, including two life-term convicts, as part of its efforts to decongest jails in the wake of the second Covid-19 wave. But the petitioner alleged that both were granted bail even before completing five months in jail and prisoners involved in offences up to 10 years were eligible for such parole.

“The state government and jail department illegally granted parole to both after pressure from a section of the church. The government also ignored the fact that both had moved the higher court questioning the verdict and it refused to stay the verdict,” said Puthanpurakkal, who single-handedly fought the case for 27 years. He wanted the court to cancel their parole and send them back to jail.

Later, the Kerala Legal Service Authority also made it clear it never commended parole for both. But the jail department said it had released many life convicts earlier also on parole and it had not shown any favouritism in the particular case.

A Central Intelligence Bureau (CBI) court in Thiruvananthapuram had convicted the two last December, 28 years after the crime.

Sister Abhaya (19), a plus-two student, was found dead in the well of the Pious X Convent in Kottayam in March 1992. It was initially dismissed as a suicide by the state police and crime branch, but the CBI later concluded that it was murder. In 2009 the CBI charge-sheeted Catholic priest Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sefi in the case. But the case again dragged after different petitions came up and it witnessed many twists and turns. During the long battle, the Kanaya Catholic church stood with the accused and even after the verdict it maintained that both were victimised.

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