THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At last the much-awaited verdict on Abhaya case has been issued by the CBI court. The special CBI court has said that the accused are the culprits and the murder has been proved. The court will decide the quantum of punishment to be given to the chief accused father Thomas M Kottur and Sister Steffy on Wednesday.

The Abhaya murder case which even local police and crime branch tried to convert into a suicide case, had gone through several attempts of sabotage when it reached CBI for investigation. Even the CBI submitted pleas before the court thrice demanding to close the case as there are no evidence to implicate the accused and the investigation should be stopped. The court which rejected the pleas all three times also ordered for reinvestigation. At last Nandakumar Nair from Delhi CBI was appointed to solve the case.

Let’s have a look at the timeline of the case

1992 March 27: Sister Abhaya’s dead body was found from the well of Kottayam Pious 10th convent

1992 March 31: Municipality chairman P C Cheriyan Madukanni and Jomon Puthenpurackal formed action council alleging that the local police to trying to subdue the case as a suicide. They conduct protests in Kottayam. In the meantime, Abhaya’s relatives said that they have lost faith in local police and crime branch.

1993 January 30: Crimbrach submits report in Kottayam RDO court after completing investigation.

1992 May 18: Chief minister K Karunakaran recommends for CBI probe.

1993 March 29: CBI registered FIR at Ernakulam CJM court.

Kochi unit of CBI under DYSP Varghese P Thomas proves that Abhayas death is a murder within six months. CBI registered the case as ‘murder’ in their case diary.

1994 March 7: Varghese P Thomas makes a crucial revelation. He said that CBI SP V Thyaggarajan has compelled him to probe Abhaya’s case as suicide and he mentally tortured Varghese for not accepting his demand.

The issue was raised in Parliament by MPs from Kerala.

CBI DYSP Varghese P Thomas takes voluntary retirement from service.

1994 June 2: MPs O Rajagopal, E Balanandan and P C Thomas visited CBI director Vijayaramarao and submitted their complaint. Following this, Vijayaramarao was excluded from supervising the case and was transferred to Chennai. A new team under DIG M L Sharma was given the charge of the probe.

1996 December 6: CBI submitted its probe report in Ernakulam CJM court, in which it said that though Abhaya’s death was a murder, there is no evidence to implicate the accused and sought court’s nod to end the investigation.

1997 March 20: Court rejected the report and ordered for re-investigation.

1999 July 12: CBI submits again the report of re-investigation before the court.

2000 June 23: Court again ordered for re-investigation rejecting the report.

2005 August 30: CBI submits report for the third time, seeking to end the investigation.

2006 August 21: Court rejects the report and orders for re-investigation third time.

CBI director creates a special team under SP R M Krishna and CBI DYSP R K Aggrawal to take up investigation of Abhaya case.

The CBI team conducts Narco Analysis of the accused in Bengaluru.

2008 September 4: Probe charge changes from Delhi unit of CBI.

2008 November 1: DYSP Nandakumar Nair takes up the case.

2008 November 18: CBI team under Nandakumar Nair arrested father Thomas Kottur, Father Jose Poothrikayil and Sister Steffi.

2009 July 17: Nandakumar Nair submits charge sheet in Ernakulam CJM court.

2011 March 16: The accused submits discharge plea in Ernakulam CJM court.

2014 March 19: High court orders for re-investigation in the case on the plea filed by Jomon Puthenpurackkal on the charges that officials including crime branch SP K T Michael tried to destroy the evidence.

2015 June 30: CBI submits reinvestigation report, framing crime branch SP K Samuel as accused, before the CBI court in Thiruvananthapuram.

2018 January 22: Thiruvananthapuram special CBI court judge J Naser orders to frame crime branch SP K T Michael as fourth accused in the case for destroying evidence.

2018 March 7: CBI court in Thiruvananthapuram excludes second accused father Jose Puthrikayil from the case. Supreme court also dismissed the acquittal plea filed by other two accused on 2019 July 15.

2019 April 9: CBI court withheld its earlier order on K T Michael on his review plea. Although it also gave nod to CBI to make him accused only if sufficient evidence against him is received.

2019 August 6: Trial of Abhaya case began at Thiruvananthapuram CBI court.

2020 December 10: Trials of both sides completed. Court decides to pronounce the final verdict on December 22.