THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A witness in the Abhaya case has said, first accused Fr Kottoor had told him that he had committed the wrong, and he forced him to give a Public Interest Litigation in the court to create the impression in society that Narco Analysis test was unscientific.

The statement was given by seventh prosecution witness and social worker Kalarcode Venugopalan Nair in a CBI Special Court hearing the sensational Abhaya murder case on Monday.

Nair said he met Kottoor at Kottayam Bishop house before the accused were subjected to the lie detector test. ”He (Kottoor) told me that he had given lakhs to people like Dr James Vadakkumcherry to write articles to show that narco tests were unscientific.

Nair said he had gone to meet the priest after reading an article of Dr James Vadakkumcherry against narco analysis test in a vernacular daily.

He told the court that Fr Kottoor told him that he maintained a relationship with Sister Sefi and did make a mistake but could not admit the crime as admission would bring disgrace to the Church.

“Kottoor told me that inside his cassocks, he was also a human being. He said he was not made of bricks and iron and a mistake happened from him. When he talked about the Abhaya case, there was a great deal of fear in him. He said this and burst into tears," said Nair.

Kottoor is the first accused in the case, while Sefi is the third accused. Nair's statement could vindicate the CBI stance that the two, along with Fr Jose Poothrikkayil, had murdered the nun after she happened to see the three in a compromising position.

Poothrikayil, listed as the second accused, was earlier discharged by the CBI court for want of evidence. Nair said he advised Kottoor to admit to his crime. But the priest said he was not the only one who has committed such a crime. "He said he was not the only one who did this. Others are not being punished this way," said Nair.

Nair said he had met Kottoor twice and during one occasion Poothrikkayil was present alongside Kottoor at the Bishop House. "He was introduced to me as the editor of Apna Des, an official publication of Kottayam Archdiocese. I identified him only when he was arrested by the CBI later," Nair said.

The cross-examination of Nair was put off to Tuesday as Kottoor's counsel B Raman Pillai was absent.