Raju aka Pakku(Arecanut) Raju, a former thief, on whose testimony the accused in Abhaya case was sentenced for life term was the sole reason for the convicts to get the maximum punishment and has now attained the status of a ‘messiah.’ Everyone is bidding the best for his health and future.

The controversial Abhaya case, the case proceedings, CBI investigation, dragged the whole case to the brink of closure got back into the track again on the sole testimony of Raju. The former burglar who told the judiciary that he saw two prominent members of the catholic clergy murdering 21-year-old sister Abhaya, had later received huge financial offers worth lakhs from the side of accused to hide the truth. Raju who had never fallen into that trap of inducements and stood for delivering justice to sister Abhaya is now getting congratulatory messages from different corners of the society. Meanwhile, Raju also shared his happiness for being able to function as god’s hand in the case and becoming the sole cause for sending Abhaya’s killers behind bars.

Raju who is living in a small colony will demand money for alcohol even to media persons to unravel his experience on Abhaya case. Raju who entered the convent the night when Abhaya was murdered saw two priests. Even though he was not in his senses at that time and went to the convent for theft, the court took into account his testimony, to punish the convicts in the 28-year-old Abhaya case.

The authorities of the catholic church who was responsible to deliver justice to Abhaya rendered unprecedented influence and pressure to cover the accused. The investigation of that case was delayed by nearly about three decades due to the undue interference of the church authorities. A high police official, who was also a relative of the accused, left no stone unturned to present the abruptly done murder as a suicide. Such malicious attempts also received the support of officials from local police, crime branch, CBI and even from Medical College. It also received backing from a Supreme Court judge and ministers from Kerala and Centre. Even after using so much influence and power, the accused had to finally surrender before the words of a small-time thief.

Apart from Raju, there are many who deserves praise and appreciation for the successful commencement of the case. Among those countless persons, the names of Jomon Puthenpurackal, the convenor of Abhaya Action Committee, who took a common man like Raju under his wings and presented him before the judge and CBI officer Varghese P Thomas, who resigned from the premier investigation agency when his superior officer pressurised him to conclude the case’s investigation as a suicide, stands the foremost. Many journalists and media persons have also rendered their sweat, tears and toil to deliver justice to sister Abhaya. If these individuals wouldn’t have burned their midnight oil and spend countless sleepless nights for this case, it might have been marred into the pile of Kerala’s unproved murder cases.

Faith and time have reserved a cruel future for those who stood with the just less church and did all kinds of malicious activities to save the accused clergymen. Some had to spend the rest of their lifetime in bed as they become immovable due to stroke. The police officer who performed inquest committed suicide. The other chief accused suffered from cancer. The catholic church was never able to deliver justice to the family who devoted their only daughter for the lord’s glory. But the god’s presence was felt in the case in the form of many individuals like Jomon Puthenpurackal and Varghese P Thomas whose efforts finally paved the way for delivering justice to Abhay’s spirit.

Even after failing miserably, the church was not ready to withdraw support to the accused clergymen and expel them from the diacosse. In such a situation, a sane person could normally ask the question of whether the church actually stands with the victim or the accused?