India - Sister Abhaya was hacked to death with axe: CBI

KOCHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the 1992 murder of Sister Abhaya, told a court on Tuesday that she was
hacked to death with an axe by the two priests and a nun arrested in the case, 16 years after her death.

On Nov 19, the 13th team of the CBI set up to probe the case - after 12 earlier teams failed - arrested Father Jose Putarika, 56, a former Malayalam professor at a 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.

Counsel for the CBI Anil Kumar told the chief judicial magistrate court that the three accused hit Abhaya using an axe after she saw something that may have been unbefitting of them.

Abhaya, a resident of Pious X Hostel, was found dead in the well of the Kottayam convent March 27, 1992.

The three accused were produced before the court after their remand period ended Tuesday. The counsel also informed the court that the investigating agency did not need the custody of the three as the case was almost solved.

"Everything will be over in two weeks time and the final report will be filed by then," said Kumar.

The three accused, meanwhile, told the court that they had been tormented in custody. The magistrate immediately asked them if they were given food, medicines and if they were physically tortured.

The three said no and the magistrate later sent them to judicial custody till Dec 16.