Kochi: A court here on Monday restrained
newspapers and television channels from publishing or
telecasting contents of CDs of the narco tests conducted on
the three accused in the sister Abhaya murder case.
Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate K A Baby passed
the order after it was brought to his notice that some
Malayalam television channels were telecasting portions of the
CDs showing accused -- Father Thomas Kottoor, Jose Puthrikayil
and Sister Sephy -- replying to queries made during the narco
analysis tests conducted on them earlier this year.
The court today provided copies of the charge sheet
along with relevant documents, including copies of the narco
CDs, to the three accused.
Sister Abhaya was found dead in the well of the St
Pius Convent in Kottayam in 1992 and police had earlier closed
the case as a suicide. The investigation into the case was
later taken over by CBI which filed three closure reports. But
the Kerala High Court declined to accept the reports and asked
the agency to investigate further.
CBI`s Kochi unit, which took over the probe from the
agency`s Delhi unit as directed by high court, arrested the
three on the charge of murder in November last year and filed
the charge sheet in the CJM court on July 17.
CBI conducted various scientific tests, including
narco and polygraph at Forensic Science Laboratory, Bangalore.
The accused have denied the charges against them.
Bureau Report
