THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram CBI court found guilty Fr Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy in the Sister Abhaya murder case. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced tomorrow.

She was found dead in the well of Pious Tenth Convent in Kottayam on March 27 in 1992. Sister Abhaya was witness to intimate contacts between Kottoor, another Father, Jose Poothrikkayil, and Sephy on March 27, 1992. The crucial verdict has come nearly three decades of the murder. The death of Sister Abhaya, written off as a suicide by the local police and crime branch was proved to be a murder by the CBI.

The CBI finding was that Sister Abhaya was murdered after she was a witness to intimate contacts between Kottoor, another Father, Jose Poothrikkayil, and Sephy.

ASI Augustine of Kottayam east police station who tampered the evidence while conducting inquest was also charge-sheeted by CBI in the case. But Augustine committed suicide, even before CBI submitted the charge sheet in the case. Crime branch DYSP Samuel who sabotaged the case, during re-investigation was also made an accused by the CBI. Later, crime branch SP K T Michael was also charge-sheeted based on CBI court’s verdict.

The trial of the case which commenced on August 26 was halted multiple times. The accused even approached the Supreme Court asking to exclude them from the trial proceedings. The trial of the case restarted again at the CBI court in Thiruvananthapuram following the apex court’s direction.

Father Thomas Kottoor was a vicar and taught Sister Abhaya psychology at Kottayam's BCM College. He was also Secretary to the then Bishop. He later rose to be Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese in Kottayam. Both of them have been found guilty of murder and destruction of the evidence. Father Thomas Kottoor has also been convicted of house-trespassing.

Sister Sephy stayed in the same hostel as Sister Abhaya and was de facto in-charge of the hostel.

Human rights activist Jomon Puthenpurackal, the lone surviving member of the panel that fought to pursue justice in the murder case, said: "Sister Abhaya's case has finally got justice. She will rest in peace. This is a classic example of how no one should think that just because they have power - money and muscle power - they can de-rail justice."