BCM college library blacked out Abhaya case reports: Witness

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Retired college professor

K C Thresiamma

, who had taught at BCM College,

Kottayam

, where

Sister Abhaya

had studied for pre-degree told the CBI special court on Tuesday that there had been a talk among a section of teachers in the college that Fr Thomas Kottoor and Fr Jose Puthrukkayil – both had also taught in the same college – had some involvement in the murder of Sister Abhaya. She said they used to talk about the case when the priests had been out of college.

Thresiamma had known Abhaya personally and told the court that she had been an obedient and well-behaved student. She also recalled the day when Sr Abhaya was found dead in 1992. She said she went to St Pius X Convent with other teachers to see the body of Abhaya. She said that Fr Jose Puthrukkayil was managing the affairs there and he escorted the teachers near the well where the body was kept. Replying to a question by CBI prosecutor advocate M Navas, Thresiamma said she had noticed a wound on the face of Abhaya, just above the lip on the right side of her face.

When the prosecution levelled questions on the character of Fr Kottoor, the first accused who faces trial, the defence lawyer objected and said what was the real case of prosecution. With the court saying in light vein that let the prosecution get something from a cooperating witness, defence counsel B Raman Pillai didn’t press his objection. When asked whether students had levelled any complaints about Fr Kottoor, Thresiamma said some girl students used to complain about the way Kottoor observed them. “They used to tell me that he sometimes stared at their legs,” he told the court.

To another query, she said the library of BCM college got newspapers after removing each news item on Sr Abhaya’s death on days following the incident. She also said Fr Puthrukkayil who had been in the

Malayalam

department with her got alienated from other teachers after the incident. “Later in 2002, he got transferred to Rajapuram College in Kasaragod,” Thresiamma said.

Defence counsel B Raman Pillai didn’t cross examine the witness on Tuesday saying that he needed to do homework. With two other witnesses scheduled for Tuesday didn’t turn up, the court concluded the first phase of witness examination. The trial will resume on October 1 with a new set of witnesses being summoned.


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