12-11-2008, 06:26 AM
Whatz happening in Churches and Convents- High Jumping Fathers and Hymen Restoring Nuns!
10/12/2008 16:19:46
Knanaya church trying to destroy evidences: CBI
VR Jayaraj | Kochi - Daily Pioneer.com
The CBI on Wednesday charged the Knanaya Catholic Church in the State with organised efforts to destroy evidences and derail the probe in the case pertaining to the murder of Sr Abhaya, a nun of the Church, in 1992. The investigating agency told the Kerala High Court that there was a concerted effort on the part of the Knanaya Church to publicise that the CBI was needlessly persecuting its two priests and a nun, arrested as the first three accused in the case.
In response to the CBI's submissions, the High Court observed that the situation was so serious that the investigators might need special protection. Justice K Hema of the High Court rejected several arguments of the accused.
The Knanaya Church had been organising continuous programmes like prayer meets and fasts saying that the accused priests and nun were innocent. It had also been brining up petitions continuously in the court charging the CBI with various crimes, which according to the agency were efforts to create a sentiment amongst the public against the agency.
As the court considered the bail applications of the accused, the CBI opposed them saying the accused were influential church personalities who could manipulate the investigation through several means if they were released. The CBI, on the instruction of the court, presented all vital evidences to the court to support its arguments.
The investigating agency had arrested Fr Thomas M Kottoor, the Church's chancellor at the Kottayam Archdiocese, Fr Jose Puthrukayil, Principal of a college run by the Church, and Sr Seffi, a senior nun at the St Pius X Convent, Kottayam where Sr Abhaya was murdered in the early morning of March 27, 1992, as first, second and third accused respectively. All the three were in CBI custody from the day of their arrest, November 19, to December 2 and afterwards they were remanded in judicial custody till December 16.
The CBI's finding is that the accused had struck Sr Abhaya in the head twice with the back of an axe with the intention to kill her, fearing that she might reveal the immoral act of the priests with the nuns in the convent. After she went limp, the two priests threw her in the well of the convent, the CBI says. Sr Seffi, with whom the priests had illicit relationship, had helped them in throwing Sr Abhaya in the well, the agency alleged.
The CBI told the court on Wednesday an eye-witness, guard Chellappadas of the church near the convent, had deposed that he had seen Fr Puthrukayil jumping over the convent's compound wall in the back and running away. Three priests, including Fr Jossy Michael, had told the CBI that Sr Abhaya had seen the two priests engaged in immoral act with the nun, and this was the reason for the murder.
Two other witnesses, Raju alias Adakka Raju, a common thief, and Sanju P Mathew, residing in the house near the convent, confirmed that the two priests were in the convent on the night of the incident. Raju said he had seen the two priests in the convent on the night of the incident, when he had entered the convent on his nightly job. Sanju P Mathew had seen Fr Kottoor's two-wheeler in front of the convent at the unearthly hours.
The CBI told the court that VV Augustine, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, who prepared the inquest on the body of Sr Abhaya, had told the agency the day before his death that he had destroyed and manipulated evidences due to pressure from his superiors. Augustine, who was found dead at his house plot on November 25, had told the CBI that he had deliberately avoided mentioning the injury marks on Sr Abhaya's body and other circumstantial evidences due to this pressure. The CBI now knew who these superiors were.
Eye-witnesses had told the CBI that the two priests had been regular visitors to the convent and that they had seen their car and two-wheeler in front of the convent on several nights. The CBI also told the court that the very fact that Sr Seffi had undergone hymen restoration surgery when the case was progressing was a strong suggestion of her involvement.
Apart from all this, the accused had admitted to their crime during the narco-analysis and had confirmed later that what they revealed during that test were correct. When the accused requested to the court to disregard the result of the narco-analysis, the court responded by saying that such evidences could not be disregarded.
The court, which took up the bail applications on Wednesday morning, had posted them for consideration on Thursday on the ground that the CBI should submit all direct and indirect evidences for its argument not to grant bail to the accused. But the CBI insisted that the case be taken up on Wednesday itself, and in no time the agency produced all he evidences. The court said the case would continue to be examined as there were several documents to be looked into.
The CBI produced the case diary which ran into 21 volumes and the three compact discs containing the details of the narco-analysis on the three accused.
10/12/2008 16:19:46
Knanaya church trying to destroy evidences: CBI
VR Jayaraj | Kochi - Daily Pioneer.com
The CBI on Wednesday charged the Knanaya Catholic Church in the State with organised efforts to destroy evidences and derail the probe in the case pertaining to the murder of Sr Abhaya, a nun of the Church, in 1992. The investigating agency told the Kerala High Court that there was a concerted effort on the part of the Knanaya Church to publicise that the CBI was needlessly persecuting its two priests and a nun, arrested as the first three accused in the case.
In response to the CBI's submissions, the High Court observed that the situation was so serious that the investigators might need special protection. Justice K Hema of the High Court rejected several arguments of the accused.
The Knanaya Church had been organising continuous programmes like prayer meets and fasts saying that the accused priests and nun were innocent. It had also been brining up petitions continuously in the court charging the CBI with various crimes, which according to the agency were efforts to create a sentiment amongst the public against the agency.
As the court considered the bail applications of the accused, the CBI opposed them saying the accused were influential church personalities who could manipulate the investigation through several means if they were released. The CBI, on the instruction of the court, presented all vital evidences to the court to support its arguments.
The investigating agency had arrested Fr Thomas M Kottoor, the Church's chancellor at the Kottayam Archdiocese, Fr Jose Puthrukayil, Principal of a college run by the Church, and Sr Seffi, a senior nun at the St Pius X Convent, Kottayam where Sr Abhaya was murdered in the early morning of March 27, 1992, as first, second and third accused respectively. All the three were in CBI custody from the day of their arrest, November 19, to December 2 and afterwards they were remanded in judicial custody till December 16.
The CBI's finding is that the accused had struck Sr Abhaya in the head twice with the back of an axe with the intention to kill her, fearing that she might reveal the immoral act of the priests with the nuns in the convent. After she went limp, the two priests threw her in the well of the convent, the CBI says. Sr Seffi, with whom the priests had illicit relationship, had helped them in throwing Sr Abhaya in the well, the agency alleged.
The CBI told the court on Wednesday an eye-witness, guard Chellappadas of the church near the convent, had deposed that he had seen Fr Puthrukayil jumping over the convent's compound wall in the back and running away. Three priests, including Fr Jossy Michael, had told the CBI that Sr Abhaya had seen the two priests engaged in immoral act with the nun, and this was the reason for the murder.
Two other witnesses, Raju alias Adakka Raju, a common thief, and Sanju P Mathew, residing in the house near the convent, confirmed that the two priests were in the convent on the night of the incident. Raju said he had seen the two priests in the convent on the night of the incident, when he had entered the convent on his nightly job. Sanju P Mathew had seen Fr Kottoor's two-wheeler in front of the convent at the unearthly hours.
The CBI told the court that VV Augustine, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, who prepared the inquest on the body of Sr Abhaya, had told the agency the day before his death that he had destroyed and manipulated evidences due to pressure from his superiors. Augustine, who was found dead at his house plot on November 25, had told the CBI that he had deliberately avoided mentioning the injury marks on Sr Abhaya's body and other circumstantial evidences due to this pressure. The CBI now knew who these superiors were.
Eye-witnesses had told the CBI that the two priests had been regular visitors to the convent and that they had seen their car and two-wheeler in front of the convent on several nights. The CBI also told the court that the very fact that Sr Seffi had undergone hymen restoration surgery when the case was progressing was a strong suggestion of her involvement.
Apart from all this, the accused had admitted to their crime during the narco-analysis and had confirmed later that what they revealed during that test were correct. When the accused requested to the court to disregard the result of the narco-analysis, the court responded by saying that such evidences could not be disregarded.
The court, which took up the bail applications on Wednesday morning, had posted them for consideration on Thursday on the ground that the CBI should submit all direct and indirect evidences for its argument not to grant bail to the accused. But the CBI insisted that the case be taken up on Wednesday itself, and in no time the agency produced all he evidences. The court said the case would continue to be examined as there were several documents to be looked into.
The CBI produced the case diary which ran into 21 volumes and the three compact discs containing the details of the narco-analysis on the three accused.