Catholic priest, nun get lifer in Sister Abhaya murder case

 

 

 

A CENTRAL Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court here on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to the catholic priest and nun, who were found guilty of the murder of Sister Abhaya 28 years ago in Kottayam. Special CBI Judge K Sanal Kumar awarded double life sentence to Father Thomas Kottoor and imposed a fine of Rs 6.5 lakh. Whereas the other accused in the case, Sister Sephy, was sentenced to life and a fine of Rs 5.5 lakh was slapped on her. The court had on Tuesday found the two guilty of the murder of Sister Abhaya, who was found dead in a well in St Pius convent in Kottayam in 1992.

 

The court also sentenced the duo to seven years of imprisonment for tampering with evidence. However, the sentences shall run concurrently, the court said. Another accused in the case, Fr Jose Puthrikkayil, was discharged earlier following lack of evidence. Initially, the case was investigated by the local police and State crime branch, which concluded that Abhaya had committed suicide. Abhaya(21), a second year student of Kottayam BCM college, was staying at St Pius convent. The CBI, took over probe on March 29, 1993 which also filed three closure reports saying though it was a case of murder, the culprits could not be found out.

 

However, on September 4, 2008, the Kerala High Court came down heavily on CBI over the handling of the Sister Abhaya murder case and said the agency was “still a prisoner of those who wield political and bureaucratic power” and directed that the probe be handed over by Delhi unit to its Kochi counterpart. Subsequently, the central agency in 2008 arrested two priests-Fr Thomas Kottoor, Fr Jose Poothrikkayil and a nun - Sister Sephy on the charge of murder.