Thiruvananthapuram: As the trial in the sensational Sister Abhaya murder case is on 27 years after her murder in a Kottayam hostel, two witnesses have turned hostile over the last two days.
Sister Anupama, witness no: 50, went back on her earlier statement to the CBI that she had seen Abhaya’s veil and slippers in the kitchen of the Pious X Hostel in Kottayam on the morning of her death on March 27, 1992.
On Tuesday, witness no: 4 Sanju P Mathew retracted his previous statement that he had found the scooter of Father Thomas Kottoor on the premises of the hostel on the day Abhaya was found dead.
Sanju's house is near the hostel in Kottayam town.
Sister Anupama was Abhaya’s pre-degree classmate at the BCM College in Kottayam then.
Anupama had earlier told the CBI that Abhaya, the inmate of room no: 8 of the hostel, looked pleasant and was wearing her veil when they woke up to study at 3.45 am on that fateful day. Anupama had also said she had rushed to the kitchen after hearing some vessels clank, only to see Abhaya’s veil and slippers, the refrigerator ajar and an axe nearby.
Sister Anupama has now denied this statement in the court. On Monday, she also denied dining with Abhaya at 9 the previous night after attending a Bible convention.
A summons issued to witness 2, Mother Superior Lisiue, was returned since she is no more.
Sanju P Mathew and Adaykka Raju, two witnesses who lived next to the convent, will appear in court today.
Sister Abhaya was found dead in the well at Pious X Convent Hostel. Local police had stated that the nun had committed suicide, but a CBI probe later concluded that Abhaya was murdered.
Father Kottoor and Sister Sephy are the accused in the case. Father Jose Puthrikkayil and former SP KT Michael were excluded from the proceedings for lack of evidence.
Former crime Branch SP, K.T. Michael, who was part of the investigation in the preliminary stage, was named as an accused early last year.
In all there are 177 witnesses in this case.
