Supreme Court rejects Abhaya case accused discharge plea
The apex court while upholding this stand also said that there is no need to exempt them from the trial.
KOCHI: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a discharge petition of the first and third accused in the Sr Abhaya case, Fr Thomas Kottoor and Sr Sephy, for exclusion from the list of accused saying there's no evidence against them.
Earlier the trial court and the High Court had rejected their petition in this regard. The HC, while noting that they should face trial, said that there was strong circumstantial evidence against them.
The apex court while upholding this stand also said that there is no need to exempt them from the trial.
The HC had dropped the second accused, Fr Jose Puthrukkayil, and fourth accused former Crime Branch SP K. T. Michael, from the list even before the start of the trial.
Sr Sephy was not present when the case came up for hearing the other day after the trial started. The court then directed her to be present for the next hearing.
In the year 1992 February 27, Sr Abhaya was found dead in the well of the Pious Tenth Convent in Kottayam.
Though local police and Crime Branch wrote it off as a suicide, the CBI which reopened the case on the directions of the HC, found that it was a murder and arrested the defendants.