Abhaya Case: Oh Father, They Knew What They Did, Merinews, November 21, 2008

Abhaya Case: Oh Father, They Knew What They Did

Merinews

November 21, 2008

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=150119

CJ: Vaatupura A. Jayaprakash

The irony of the present state of affairs is this: when the world of Christianity, especially the RC, is blessed with a Saint, St Alphonsa, from this very part of the world, a sister and two priests were arrested for murder of another sister.

FINALLY, THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two priests in connection with sister Abhaya murder, which has been mocking at the credibility of our investigation agencies and the conscience of millions of Christians alike for more than 16 years.

Father Thomas M Kottur (61) and Father Dr Jose Puthrukkayil (56), former lecturers at BCM College, Kottayam, are reported to have been incriminated based on some clinching evidence revealed by a key witness in this murder mystery, and they have been booked for the same. And the third accused, sister Sephi (45) is also under custody. They have been remanded to CBI custody for further interrogation.

Neither the Kerala police nor the CBI has ever had a case as controversial and unsettling as this one because the people who are involved in this case have been known to enjoy enough media support, money and political power to keep the investigation agencies at bay.

Many CBI officers who came to investigate the case have been accused of conniving with these powerful criminals. Among them were a few genuine officers, but no one was able to ascertain the involvement of any particular person.

Responding to this arrest, the Kottayam archdiocese in a press release said that the facts leading to the arrests were ’mysterious’.

It also questioned the police suddenly gaining evidence of the priests’ involvement, which they had failed to collect in the past 16 years of investigations.

The case in question happened some 16 years ago when nun Abhaya (21) was found dead in the well of the convent. An initial investigation by the state police dismissed it as suicide. More than 13 different teams of the CBI investigated the case.

The irony of this present state of affairs is this: when the world of Christianity, especially the Roman Catholic, is blessed with a Saint, St Alphonsa, from this very part of the world, a sister and two priests were arrested for rape and murder of another sister.

Did these people assume that they could hold god to ransom if they had money, power and press in their favour? Truth is much whiter than the vestments of these priests. The pity is that they themselves did not know it.

Their prayer is: Oh Father, they knew what they did. Still, forgive them, for you are all merciful. Amen!