ID :
31191
Wed, 11/19/2008 - 22:46
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/31191
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Two priests, nun arrested in Sister Abhaya murder case
Kochi, Nov 19 (PTI) 16 years after Sister Abhaya was
found dead under mysterious circumstances, the CBI Wednesday
made the first arrests in the sensational case, taking into
custody two Christian priests and a nun on murder charges.
The arrest of Father Thomas M Kottoor, who is the
Chancellor of Kottayam Diocese, Father Dr Jose Puthrikayil,
the Principal of St Pius Xth College, Rajapuram in Kasaragod
and sister Sephy by CBI's Kochi unit came less than a month
after it took over investigation from the agency's Delhi wing
on a High Court directive.
The three were produced before the Chief Judicial
Magistrate, Ernakulam, P D Soman who remanded them to Criminal
Bureau of Investigation custody till Dec 2.
These are the first arrests in the case that shocked
Kerala after the 21-year-old sister was found dead in a well
in St Pius convent in Kottayam on 27 March, 1992. Abhaya was a
pre-degree student at the time of her death.
A huge battery of media personnel and onlookers
gathered at the court complex when the three were produced.
The CJM turned down the plea of the accused to allow their
lawyers to be present during interrogation.
The court also cautioned the CBI not to subject the
accused to any physical or mental torture during
interrogation.
The arrests came after a narco analysis test was
conducted on the accused and a "crucial" statement made by
Saju P Mathew, residing adjacent to the St Pius Convent. The
CBI had also conducted polygraph tests on the three.
Father Kottoor, Father Jose and Sister Sephy have been
arraigned as the first, second and third accused respectively.
On September 4 this year, the Kerala High Court had
directed the CBI Delhi unit, which was investigating the case,
to transfer the probe to its Kochi unit after observing that
an "unseen hand" was at work to "jettison" the truth. The case
was handed over to Kochi unit on Oct 27.
The CBI, which took over the case on March 29, 2003,
had earlier filed three closure reports, saying though it was
a case of murder, the suspects could not be found.
The High Court refused to accept the report and asked
the probe agency to further investigate.
The CJM Wednesday directed the CBI to produce the three
accused before 1100 hrs in the court on Dec 2 at the end of
the custody.
Abhaya's father M Thomas and mother Leelamma have
expressed happiness over the arrests. "Despite the long wait
for justice, we are happy that the accused have been
arrested," they said.
While initially the local police and the state Crime
Branch which investigated the case concluded that the nun had
committed suicide, the case was handed over to the CBI by the
High Court on a petition by Abhaya's father.
The case came to limelight once again a year ago
following media reports that Abhaya's forensic report had been
tampered with.
21-year-old Abhaya was found dead in a well in St
Pius convent in Kottayam on 27 March, 1992. PTI TKK
RKM
NNNN
found dead under mysterious circumstances, the CBI Wednesday
made the first arrests in the sensational case, taking into
custody two Christian priests and a nun on murder charges.
The arrest of Father Thomas M Kottoor, who is the
Chancellor of Kottayam Diocese, Father Dr Jose Puthrikayil,
the Principal of St Pius Xth College, Rajapuram in Kasaragod
and sister Sephy by CBI's Kochi unit came less than a month
after it took over investigation from the agency's Delhi wing
on a High Court directive.
The three were produced before the Chief Judicial
Magistrate, Ernakulam, P D Soman who remanded them to Criminal
Bureau of Investigation custody till Dec 2.
These are the first arrests in the case that shocked
Kerala after the 21-year-old sister was found dead in a well
in St Pius convent in Kottayam on 27 March, 1992. Abhaya was a
pre-degree student at the time of her death.
A huge battery of media personnel and onlookers
gathered at the court complex when the three were produced.
The CJM turned down the plea of the accused to allow their
lawyers to be present during interrogation.
The court also cautioned the CBI not to subject the
accused to any physical or mental torture during
interrogation.
The arrests came after a narco analysis test was
conducted on the accused and a "crucial" statement made by
Saju P Mathew, residing adjacent to the St Pius Convent. The
CBI had also conducted polygraph tests on the three.
Father Kottoor, Father Jose and Sister Sephy have been
arraigned as the first, second and third accused respectively.
On September 4 this year, the Kerala High Court had
directed the CBI Delhi unit, which was investigating the case,
to transfer the probe to its Kochi unit after observing that
an "unseen hand" was at work to "jettison" the truth. The case
was handed over to Kochi unit on Oct 27.
The CBI, which took over the case on March 29, 2003,
had earlier filed three closure reports, saying though it was
a case of murder, the suspects could not be found.
The High Court refused to accept the report and asked
the probe agency to further investigate.
The CJM Wednesday directed the CBI to produce the three
accused before 1100 hrs in the court on Dec 2 at the end of
the custody.
Abhaya's father M Thomas and mother Leelamma have
expressed happiness over the arrests. "Despite the long wait
for justice, we are happy that the accused have been
arrested," they said.
While initially the local police and the state Crime
Branch which investigated the case concluded that the nun had
committed suicide, the case was handed over to the CBI by the
High Court on a petition by Abhaya's father.
The case came to limelight once again a year ago
following media reports that Abhaya's forensic report had been
tampered with.
21-year-old Abhaya was found dead in a well in St
Pius convent in Kottayam on 27 March, 1992. PTI TKK
RKM
NNNN
