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	Court Extends Remand of Murder Accused Priests, Nun Indian Catholic December 3, 2008 http://www.theindiancatholic.com/report.asp?nid=11876 KOCHI (ICNS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Eranakulam saying Sister Abhaya was murdered hit with an axe. The investigators claimed to have enough evidence to prove the crime while producing before the court Father Thomas Kottur, Sister Sephi and Father Jose Poothrikkayil. The priests and nun, arrested as prime suspects in the case, were produced before the court as the remand days came to an end on Tuesday. The Court then extended the remand till December 16 considering the case. The investigation report says Sister Abhaya woke up on March 27, 1992, the day she was killed, early in the morning, went to the hostel kitchen for taking drinking water from the fridge. She found the accused in a compromising position, said media reports quoting form the investigation report. Embarrassed, the priests attacked 21-year-old Abhaya with a blunt weapon and dumped her body in the well at the premises. And the three together lifted the body of the nun and dumped it in the well of the hostel. The accused told the court that they were not physically tortured during the interrogation by the CBI, but that they were harassed mentally. Fr Kottur told the court that they were kept in the dark rooms for three days and were not allowed to sleep. Sister Sephy told the court that she was forcibly subjected to a virginity medical examination. The CBI reportedly got a breakthrough from the statement of Sanju P Mathew, whose house adjoins the crime scene. Sanju told the CBI he saw Father Kottoor’s bike at the convent on the night of the crime. CBI has also got hold of a petty thief who claims to have seen the murder.
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