Home News Indian court grants bail to priest, nun who murdered another Catholic nun

Indian court grants bail to priest, nun who murdered another Catholic nun

A nun was killed after she found two Catholic priests and a nun in a 'compromising position' inside the kitchen of a hostel

The High Court in India’s Kerala state granted bail to a Catholic priest and a nun who were earlier sentenced to life imprisonment for their alleged participation in a murder case.

The division bench of Justices Vinod Chandran and C Jayachandran acted upon the petitions of Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy seeking suspension of their sentence.

The court asked the two to deposit 500,000 rupees each and refrain from leaving Kerala without the court’s permission.



In December 2020, a Central Bureau of Investigation Special Court sentenced the priest to two life terms and a fine of 500,000 rupees after his conviction of the charge of murder.

Sister Sephy was also convicted and handed down a life in prison for tampering with evidence.

The CBI court found the two guilty of murdering another nun, Sister Abhaya, whose body was found on March 27, 1992, inside a well at a convent in Kottayam, a town in Kerala.

The trial court had allowed the discharge petition of another accused, Father Jose Puthrikkayil.

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At the time of her death, Sister Abhaya was a student in a Church college and was staying in the Pius X Convent Hostel, which had 123 residents, including 20 nuns.

According to the CBI, the nun was killed after she found Fathers Kottoor and Puthrikkayil and Sister Sephy in a compromising position inside the kitchen of the hostel.

Fearing that she would disclose the incident, Father Kottoor allegedly strangled her while Sister Sephy allegedly hit her with an ax. Together, they allegedly dumped Abhaya’s body in a well in the compound.

Joemon Puthanpurakal, convener of Sister Abhaya Action Council who was present at the court, slammed the CBI for its “laxity.”

“It’s strange and unfortunate that the CBI doesn’t have a standing counsel and the counsel who appeared in this case for the CBI is one who does not understand Malayalam and did nothing,” he said.

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