KOTTAYAM: It is still a shining memory, going to Pious 10th convent 28 years ago, to report the mysterious death of sister Abhaya. In those days there were only a few news channels in the state. Even after saying that am a reporter from Keralakaumudi, the security guard was not ready to open the gates. As I knew the probe team chief K T Micheal, at last, the gates were opened for this reporter.

“She committed suicide as she got low marks in the examination, have evidence of her getting inside the well,” the police superintendent was eager to picturise her death as a suicide. The dead body was found in an upside-down condition inside the well, located near the kitchen. The kitchen was in a haphazard state. Even though everything was seen in a grey and mysterious light, police officials and authorities in the convent were getting ready to end the case as a suicide.

The police officials have changed the crime scene as if they had received directions from the top. It was evident that they were going to close the case’s investigation as suicide. A police dog was not employed to collect evidence. Service of fingerprint experts was also not sought. It was obviously evident that somebody was pulling the strings behind to sabotage the case.

In the newspapers published from Kottayam, Abhaya’s murder was subdued as a piece of single-column news under the headline, ‘nun died after falling into well.’ Only Keralakumudi and another newspaper printed the headline “nun’s body retrieved from well in mysterious condition.” When other media houses were silent Keralakaumudi and flash continuously published news on the case. An award was also received for the reporting the news and the media house also had to face court proceedings as part of reporting.