It was on October 23, 2020 that a catholic priest and nun were punished with life imprisonment as they were held guilty of murdering sister Abhaya. The verdict came 28 years after committing the murder, and legal experts consider it a landmark case in the history of the Indian judiciary.
Knanaya Catholic Church reacts to the verdict
On Tuesday, the court pronounced that Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy were held guilty of murder and destruction of the evidence. The priest who taught sister Abhaya psychology at BCM college Kottayam was also convicted of house trespassing during midnight.
According to the report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), sister Abhaya witnessed intimate acts between Kottoor, another Father, Jose Poothrikkayil, and Sephy on March 27, 1992, as she went to the kitchen to drink water at around 04.15 AM. As the accused came to know that Abhaya has witnessed the incident, they hit the young sister with a blunt object on her head and pulled her body to the well for covering up the crime.
Even though the verdict is receiving positive responses from all corners of the state, the Knanaya Catholic Archeparchy, Kottayam claimed that allegations against the priest and the nun are unbelievable. They also made it clear that the convicts have the right to file an appeal against the existing verdict on higher courts.
Adakka Raju: The prime witness
Sister Abhaya murder case was initially ruled as a suicide by the local police and the crime branch of Kerala. However, it was social worker Jomon Puthenpurakkal who demanded a CBI inquiry in this case. Jomon dedicated 27 years of his life to assure justice to the deceased soul, and he was strongly supported by Nandakumar, a journalist who works for Crime magazine.
During the trial, it was the testimonial of a thief named Adakka Raju that worked against the priest and the nun. Adakka Raju, in the court, assured that he has seen the priest in the sister's convent at around 04.15 AM on that fateful day.
