Two priests arrested in Sister Abhaya murder case

Kochi, Nov 19 (PTI) The CBI Wednesday arrested two
priests in the Sister Abhaya murder case.
The arrests of Father Thomas M Kottur and Father Dr E Jose
Puthrikayil was recorded by the CBI Wednesday.
They will be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate
court, Ernakulam.
This is the first arrest in the case relating to Sister
Abhaya, a nun of the St Pius convent at Kottayam who was
murdered 16 years ago.

According to unconfirmed reports, the Criminal Bureau of
Investigation has also arrested Sister Sephy, a nun in
connection with the case.

The CBI had earlier conducted narco analysis and
polygraph tests on the two priests and Sister Sephy.

On September 4 this year the Kerala High Court directed
the CBI Delhi unit, which was investigating the case, to hand
over the probe to its Kochi unit after observing that an
"unseen hand" was at work to "jettison" the truth in the
sensational case.

Sister Abhaya's body was found in the well of the St
Pius convent on March 27, 1992. The local police and crime
branch investigated the case and had concluded that it was a
case of suicide.

The CBI took over the case on March 29, 2003, and 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.