Abhaya case: Church group urges protection of nun’s dignity

JUSTICE should be unbiased, if accused commited crime then,they should charge just like another criminal.

Nun is symbold of Virginity, if sister Steffi lost it, then she should be answerable, which makes her prime suspect, violation of faith and her order. she should be condemned to DEATH.

New Delhi, Dec 10 : A Christian organisation has urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to protect the dignity of a nun whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) allegedly subjected to a virginity test while probing the 1992 murder of Kerala nun Sister Abhaya.

Sister Seffi, 45, was arrested along with two priests – Father Thomas Kottur and Father Jose Poothrikkayil – by the CBI for her alleged role in Abhaya’s killing. Abhaya, a resident of Pious X Hostel, was found dead in the well of the Kottayam convent March 27, 1992.

The CBI, in its report submitted to a Kerala court, said the three hit Abhaya with an axe after she saw something that may have been unbefitting of them. The investigating agency claims the three committed the murder to cover up their sexual relations.

Having failed in establishing loss of virginity, the investigating agency accused Sister Seffi of undergoing manipulative surgery to mislead the investigation. The tone and tenor of this sort of accusation smacks the standards and credibility of the premier investigation agency of India,” says a statement by Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India website.

The CBI, while submitting the results of the nun’s virginity to the court, said it had been conducted with the written consent of Seffi.

The arrested nun’s virginity could not be ascertained “as there is surgical interference observed on the hymen,” according to the CBI report of the test conducted in a government medical college.

Sister Seffi’s lawyer told the court Dec 5 that the CBI subjected her to a virginity test without her consent.

“The acts of the investigation officers are not in the interest of dispensation of justice,” George said.

In a letter to the chairperson of NHRC, Justice (Retd) Rajender Babu, the GCIC said that appropriate action should be taken to protect the human dignity of Seffi.

“We appeal to the commission to help the traumatised Catholic nun,” he said.

Father Paul Thelakat, spokesperson for the Syro-Malabar Church (SMC), told the official Catholic press that CBI’s action was a clear violation of human rights.

“The Church is not demanding that Sister Seffi be treated as someone above the law, but that such a test cannot be conducted without a woman’s consent,” he said.

Knanaya Catholic Church says arrested priests, nun innocent

Kottayam (Kerala), Dec 10: The Knanaya Catholic Church, which is in the thick of controversy after two of its senior priests and a nun were arrested in connection with the murder of Sister Abhaya, said Tuesday the three are innocent.

“Our position has not changed and even though we are very particular that the truth should come out, we are of the opinion that the three arrested are innocent,” Joseph Pandaraserry, the assistant head of the church’s Kottayam diocese said at a prayer meeting Tuesday.

Close to 500 people including priests, nuns and common people took part in the prayer meeting held at a church here.

The body of Sister Abhaya, a resident of Pius X Hostel, was found in the well of the Kottayam convent March 27, 1992.

A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — the 13th after 12 earlier teams failed to crack the case — Nov 19 arrested Father Jose Putarika, 56, a former Malayalam professor at the Kottayam college where Abhaya studied, Father Thomas Kottor, 61, the Diocesan chancellor of the Catholic Church at Kottayam and Sister Seffi, who was a resident of the convent when the incident took place.

Already the CBI has questioned Archbishop Mathew Mulekattu for over two hours last month and retired bishop Kuriakose Kunnasery, who held the office, when the murder took place.

The meeting also came down heavily on the CBI when as part of their investigation they conducted a virginity test at the Government Alappuzha Medical College last month without the consent of Sister Seffi.

“They are free to do their investigation and it should not be based on looking at the face but they should have not violated the rights of people,” said Fr Paul Thelekatt, spokesperson of the Syro Malabar church.

Meanwhile at Kochi, the CBI told the Kerala High Court that they have not violated any rights of those who have been asked to come for questioning.

The clarification came in response to the complaints raised by the convent officials, including 18 nuns, who said that they were being harassed by CBI officials after being summoned for questioning.

The judge posted further hearing on the case for next Monday.

More evidence tumbles out
The CBI on Wednesday[10.12.2008] presented more circumstantial evidence to support its finding that the two priests, Fr Thomas Kottoor and Fr James Puthrukayil, and the nun Sr Sephy had murdered Sister Abhaya 16 years ago.
The investigating agency told the high court that former assistant sub-inspector V V Augustine who conducted the inquest on Abhaya

2 thoughts on “Abhaya case: Church group urges protection of nun’s dignity

  1. I feel now the investigations are going on the right directions. There is nothing to suggest that these priests and nun killed Abhaya. No responsible person told so also. Something more mysterious happened. The investigating officers are not fools. They are very responsible officers. They can analyse each and every aspect. Since they got clear mandate from the higher judiciary to go freely, nothing can hinder them. No cooked up story will be acceptable to the Hon

  2. I am horrified to read about the attrocities of the premium Indian Investigating agency on its on subjects. These fraud investigators should be hanged in public as a detterent to other similar officers. Please read the full text of Justice Hema

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