Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday sought the response of the state government on a plea seeking withdrawal of the parole granted to the convicts of the Sister Abhaya murder case. A notice was issued to the Kerala government, the DGP of Prisons, CBI and the convicts' Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sefi. Human rights activist Jomon Puthenpurackal, filed the petition alleging that granting of parole before 5 months to the accused who was convicted by the CBI court is illegal.
The petition also alleges that the jail DGP's explanation that parole was granted by a high-powered committee set up on the orders of the Supreme Court is not right. According to the order, the jail high power committee has granted parole to the convicts who have been sentenced to less than ten years.
The trial court convicted the accused Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy on December 23, 2020. After 28 years of legal proceedings, the court found Fr. Kottoor, the first accused and Sister Sefi, the third accused in the Abhaya case, guilty. A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation sentenced Fr. Kottoor to double life imprisonment and Sister Sephy to life imprisonment for the murder. The convicts were granted parole on June 11.
21-year-old Sister Abhaya's body was found in the well of the St. Pious convent at Kottayam in Kerala on March 27, 1992. Abhaya, a second-year student of BCM college, Kottayam, was staying at the convent and according to the prosecution, she witnessed an illicit relationship allegedly between the two convicts and Fr Jose Puthrikkayil. Following which they hacked her with an axe and threw her into the well. However, Fr. Puthrikkayil was discharged from the case due to a lack of evidence against him.
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