The ruling points to the “fascinatingly bizarre fact” that a “very expensive litigation” of a “underpaid cook” took place in the Supreme Court.
Lead Counsel Harish Salve was hired as counsel for one of the witnesses who turned hostile in the Sister Abhaya murder case and the Knayaya Catholic Church paid its fees, the 229-page ruling by an IWC court in Kerala noted. Harish Salve represented Achamma, the kitchen supervisor who testified about the mess in the kitchen on the day Abhaya was killed, in a guilty plea filed in the Supreme Court while the trial was ongoing.
The ruling points to the “fascinatingly strange fact” that Achamma, who worked as a cook at the St. Pius X convent hostel in Kottayam and was ‘underpaid’, had addressed the Supreme Court against the validity of the test of analysis of narcotics that was to be carried out on her by the CBI, which was investigating the case, and a “very expensive litigation” was conducted in New Delhi.
“When the prosecution suggested that his lawyer before the Honorable Apex Court was none other than Sri. Harish Salve, arguably India’s best living lawyer, did not deny it. In addition, he admitted that his litigation had been financed by the convent and that he was not aware of its essence, ”the ruling states.
Achamma was one of the crucial witnesses in Sister Abhaya’s death case. In his police statement, he had stated that he had noticed some disturbances in the convent kitchen the morning of Abhaya’s death. Achamma during his interrogation in the CBI court admitted that he had given the police the correct version, although he refused to confirm it again. This partial assertion of hers also helped the prosecution prove her case.
TNM previously reported that since the trial began in August 2019, several witnesses have turned hostile, many under pressure and some accused of taking bribes.
The ruling indicates that it is “reasonable to assume” that the first defendant, Father Thomas, “had under his control the immense resources of the diocese in terms of money and materials and could demand the obedience of priests, nuns and laity.”
The ruling also added that the two defendants in the case, Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy, attempted to thwart the investigation by “repeatedly” obtaining suspensions from the Kerala High Court in court proceedings on various grounds.
It should be noted that shortly after the two defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, the church issued a statement supporting the two defendants. The Knanaya Catholic Arch Park of Kottayam has said that the allegations against Father Joseph Kottoor and Sister Sephy are incredible.
Read also: Sister Abhaya Murder Case: Is Justice Really Served?
How A Former Thief’s Account Became Crucial In Condemning Sister Abhaya’s Killers
Explainer: What is the Sister Abhaya case and why did it take 28 years for a verdict?
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