Sr Abhaya case: Praises pour in for Adakka Raju, a witness who stuck to his statement

"Today you will be with me in paradise," Jesus Christ told one of the thieves who was crucified along with him, as written in the Bible. Comparing Adakka Raju — whose statement proved crucial in the 1992 Sister Abhaya murder case — with the good thief in the Bible, prominent Malayalam poet Balachandran Chullikad wrote, "Jesus, the thief who died with you on the cross, is the only one who stood firm, to witness your justice." The poet dedicated the four-line poem to Raju for giving a bold witness statement in the Sr Abhaya murder case.

Raju had told the court that he saw Father Thomas M Kottoor (the convict) and Jose Poothrikkayil (who was earlier discharged from the case) climbing the stairway at the rear side of the convent in the wee hours of March 27, 1992, the day the crime was committed. He had broken into the premises of the convent to steal something at the time. His statement became significant when eight prime witnesses, including Sr Abhaya's roommates and other nuns at St Pius X Convent in Kottayam, turned hostile.

For this reason, Raju was celebrated as a hero by social media since the Abhaya case verdict came out on Tuesday. In fact, #Adakkaraju has been trending on Facebook since Tuesday and hundreds are posting messages praising Raju. Some of the posts were queries, asking why Raju was called 'Adakka Raju' by the media while the accused were still referred to as Father Kottoor and Sr Sephy. Incidentally, the police named him Adakka Raju for his penchant for stealing areca nuts (adakka in Malayalam).

Geevarghese Mar Coorilos Metropolitan of Niranam Diocese of Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church wrote on his Facebook, "Raju is the face of humanity. He can be called kallan (thief) since he drinks kallu (toddy). But, in fact, he is a saint."

Some of the posts that effusively praise Raju read:

"You have now stolen the hearts of we people."

"He is the real saint."

"The lord of three cents who spurned the golden urns of debauchery and deceit. In the cloistered sanctuary where all the holy men and women, cloaked in treachery, maintained their conspiracy of falsehood, the single undeniable truth that the thief with integrity uttered... rang out like a pistol shot in the darkness... the echoes of which pierced the veiled shroud of darkness," read another post.

"He is a hero as he still lives in a colony struggling to survive and not accepting any bribe to change his statement. God lives in people like him. He might die as a poor man, but with no regrets about the past," wrote another social media user.

The words of Raju after the verdict was also shared by many on social media. "I still live in a colony with three cents of land. I had got offers for crores of rupees. But I did not take any money yet. I have two daughters. What happens if they are gone all of a sudden? I saw that child (Abhaya) like my daughter. Nobody is there in that family. Being in her father's position, I say she got justice. I am happy," Raju told the media on Tuesday.

Watch: Raju talking to the media after the verdict

Another tagline that was trending was: 'Adakka Raju is happy'. Memes and posters, too, are being shared across social media platforms in praise of Raju.

Earlier, Raju had alleged that he had been tortured a lot by the police to make him admit to the crime he did not commit. "I have made many mistakes, but not so big ones. I have suffered a lot," Raju said in an old interview.

Watch: Old video byte of Adakka Raju

Also Read: How a former thief’s account became crucial in convicting the killers of Sister Abhaya