Priest discharged in Abhaya murder case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Father Jose Poothrikkayil, the second accused in the Sister Abhaya murder case, was acquitted by the CBI special court here on Wednesday. The discharge petitions of the first accused Fr Thomas M. Kottoor and third accused Sister Sephy were rejected.

Abhaya was found dead in the well of the Pius X convent in Kottayam on March 27, 1992. The CBI case is that the accused murdered her after she witnessed their illicit affairs.

The CBI special court acquitted Fr Poothrikkayil on the grounds that the CBI had failed to provide evidence  to prove his presence  at the convent on the day of Abhaya’s death. The discharge petitions of the two others were rejected as the CBI could provide sufficient evidence.

While the CBI is likely to approach  the High Court against the special court order to discharge Fr. Poothrikkayil,  Fr. Thomas Kottoor and Sr. Sephy are likely to approach the High Court seeking discharge.

Activists Jomon Puthenpurackal, who has been pursuing the case, said that lapses on the part of the CBI prosecutor had led to the discharge of Fr Poothrikkayil. He also said that though the CBI court allowed his discharge, the court order mentioned about his illicit affair with the nun.

The Crime Branch and CBI teams which initially probed the case had concluded that it was a case of suicide. But a further probe by the CBI in 2008 arraigned the two priests and one nun invoking murder charges. The chargesheet was filed in 2009 mainly on the basis of scientific evidence like narco analysis test. The three filed the discharge petition in 2011.

Recently,  the CBI court had also ordered that Crime Branch former DySP K.T. Michel should be arraigned in the case on charges of destroying evidence and hatching a conspiracy. But the order was stayed by the High Court.