Sister Abhaya not sexually assaulted before her murder, forensic expert to court

In the latest update in the Sister Abhaya murder case, two forensic chemical examiners told the CBI special court in Thiruvananthapuram that it did not seem like the deceased nun was sexually assaulted prior to her murder on March 27, 1992. 

According to a report in The Hindu, former Chief Chemical Examiner R Geetha and scientific officer M Chitra said that no presence of semen was found in vaginal swabs taken from the nun who was found dead in a well in the St Pious X convent in Kottayam 27 years ago. 

The duo had conducted three tests to detect the presence of semen in the nun's body. While the first two tests indicated the presence of certain chemicals found in semen and other body fluids, the final and confirmatory test ruled out the presence of spermatozoa. The final test was conducted using a chromatography device and a microscope. Chromatography is a laboratory technique where a mixture is separated.

The two chemical examiners were arrested back in 2007 after a media report contradicted the lab findings stating that the duo had edited the report to show that no presence of semen was found. 

Following this, the Abhaya Action Council, the group fighting for justice in the case, moved the high court accusing the two officers of erasing scientific evidence in the case. The high court then ordered an investigation, following which the two were arrested and remanded. 

However, the court later found that the two examiners were innocent and they had only made corrections in the workbook, which was not a final report. 

The court also added that it was legal to edit, correct or erase initial findings in the workbook as chemical test results could keep varying.