Finally, The Closure of Sister Abhaya Case!

In 1992, Abhaya, a 19 year old nun was found dead in the well of Pious Xth Convent in the Kottayam district of Kerala. According to the CBI, Sister Abhaya was killed by two priests, Thomas Kottoor and Jose Poothrikkayil and another nun in her convent, Sephy. 

However, Jose Poothrikkayil was later removed from the list of accused.

Sister Abhaya found the priests and Sephy in a compromising position in the convent kitchen and they killed her, fearing she would speak out about this.

In 1993, the Kerala Crime Branch closed the case, saying it was a suicide. The CBI, then, took over the case and it had submitted three reports. The first said it was a suicide. In the other two reports, it said that she was murdered but did not leave any evidence to pin down the perpetrators.

15 years after the CBI had taken over the case, the priests and the nun were arrested in 2008.

After 28 years, the verdict on the mysterious death of Sister Abhaya, the teenage nun, was pronounced by the CBI Court Judge Sanal Kumar in Thiruvananthapuram convicting the accused - Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy - for charges of murdering the nun in 1992. They have been found guilty under Section 302 (Murder) and Section 449 (House trespass in order to commit murder). The quantum of punishment will be decided tomorrow.

The trial began in 2019 and eight witnesses had turned hostile. The conviction has, now, been possible due to the strongest bunch of evidence which were :-

 (a) The statement of witnesses over the mess in the kitchen after Abhaya's body was found in the well.

 (b) Her slippers, the opened fridge-door, a water bottle, her veil and some other misplaced objects that indicated a struggle when the victim went to drink water, early in the morning of 27 Mar 1992.

 (c) Adakka Raju was another important witness who had entered the convent to rob. He had entered the convent at 4 AM and saw the two priests.

The investigation has put many responsible people and their organisations in bad light because of the lopsided manner in which its course had meandered!

PS.

It has come out vividly that Sister Abhaya's head was smashed by the the culprits and her dead body was thrown into the well.

The punishment is life term imprisonments to Father Kottoor and for Sister Sephy along with attendant fines.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

Had video called Ceedee (New Delhi), Inani (Chittorgarh), Daljeet-Sohona (New Delhi) and Vipin-Leena (Thiruvananthapuram). The interactions were peppy and could update from where we'd left last.

Suma was on leave on account of a wedding in her family. So, it was Lekha's show all the way!