Sister Abhaya, 21, was killed and her body dumped down a convent well in 1992.
Thiruvananthapuram:
A special IWC court in Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram today sentenced a Catholic priest and a nun to life imprisonment for the murder of Sister Abhaya, 28 years after the crime. The sentencing came a day after the court found the two guilty. Sister Abhaya, 21, was killed and her body thrown into a convent well in Kottayam in 1992.
A fine of Rs. five lakhs were also imposed on the priest and nun. On the other hand, the two have also been sentenced to seven years in prison for destroying evidence.
On Tuesday, Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy were found guilty of murder and destruction of evidence. The priest, who was a vicar and taught psychology to Sister Abhaya at BCM College in Kottayam, was also convicted of breaking and entering.
He was also secretary to the then bishop. Later he became chancellor of the Catholic diocese in Kottayam.
Sister Sephy stayed in the same shelter as Sister Abhaya and was de facto in charge of the shelter.
According to the CBI, Sister Abhaya witnessed intimate contacts between Kottoor, another father, José Poothrikkayil, and Sephy on March 27, 1992 as she went from the shelter room to the kitchen at around 4.15 a.m.
Between 4:15 a. M. And 5 a. M., The defendant allegedly hit Sister Abhaya with a blunt object and threw her body into the well to cover up the crime.
The defendants, who were out on bail, were taken into judicial custody on Tuesday after the mandatory COVID-19 test.
The incident was initially branded a “suicide death” by police and Crime Section officials. Amid protests and petitions, the case was transferred to the IWC.
Charges against another priest, José Poothrikkayil, were dropped in 2018 for lack of evidence.
While Sister Abhaya’s parents died a few years ago, her brother Biju Thomas, who is currently abroad, said Tuesday that he was happy with the verdict. “I see God’s intervention in the verdict,” he told TV channels.
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