After waging a 24-year-long legal battle, Sister Abhaya’s father Thomas died in Thalayolaparambu of Kottayam district on Sunday evening. The 72-year-old had been admitted in hospital following a cardiac arrest.
Sr. Abhaya, a Knanaya Catholic nun was found dead in the well of Pius X Convent in Kottayam in March 1992. While the police had called it suicide, Thomas along with his son led the battle to bring her perpetrators to justice. Thomas, continued to fight even after his son migrated to Dubai.
In 2008, 16 years after Abhaya’s death, the CBI arrested the accused - Fr. Jose Poothrukayil, Fr. Thomas M. Kottoor, and Sister Stephy. But they were granted bail, months later.
Since 1992 Thomas along with his son, were continuously fighting for justice. Even after his son migrated to Dubai for work, he continued his battle.
In 2014, when two lab technicians were acquitted in connection with tampering the chemical analysis report of Sr. Abhaya, Thomas wept in front of the cameras. Holding all the legal papers with him, he said, “I wanted to know something before our death (his and his wife’s). Only god knows what will happen. It has been 23 years, nothing has happened all these years.”
“I should have married her off. Then now we she would have home with our grandchildren. Then how happy we would have been,” he said in an interview given to Asianet News.
His funeral will be held in Areekkara St Rocky's church. He is survived by wife Leelamma and son Biju