Nun Abhaya Murder Case Verdict Out: Here is what transpired in the last 28 years

After 28 years, Sister Abhaya murder case has reached its final end with the CBI court in Thiruvananthapuram finding Thomas M Kottor, the Diocesan chancellor of the Catholic Church at Kottayam and Nun Sephy, a resident of the convent at the time of the murder, guilty of the crime.  

The first accused was found guilty and charged under section 302, 201, and 449 under IPC and Sephy under 302 and 201. Here is the exhaustive timeline of the most clinching murder mystery to have been resolved by the CBI in Kerala. 

Complete timeline of the murder case

• 1992, March 27: The dead body of 18-year-old nun is found in a well at Kottayam Pius X Convent. 
• 1992, March 31: Allegations arise that the Kerala Police is trying to sabotage the investigation. Kottayam Municipality chairman P C Cheriyan and Jomon Puthanpurakkal form an action council for the justice for Abhaya. The first protest organised by the action council begins. Abhaya's mother Leelama and father Thomas states they don't trust the police investigation. The case gets transferred to the crime branch after the police investigation for 17 days. 
• 1992, May 18: Chief Minister K Karunakaran recommends CBI investigation in the matter 
• 1993 January 30: After 9.5 months of investigation, the crime branch ends investigation and submits report in Kottayam RDO court.
• 1993, March 29: CBI registers FIR at Ernakulam CJM court. CBI Kochi unit DYSP Varghese P Thomas starts the investigation. Within 6 months submits a report that Abhaya was murdered and it was not a case of suicide as found out by the Kerala Police and Crime Branch The CBI case dairy registers it as murder.
• As per the charge sheet, Abhaya happened to see the three accused in "suspicious circumstances". Fearing that she would "reveal" the incident to others, the accused hit her with a blunt object. Abhaya, 21, fell unconscious and was thrown into the well of her Pious 10th Convent, Kottayam, where she was found dead
• 1993, December 31: Varghese P Thomas takes voluntary retirement. 
• 1994, March 7: The retired CBI official goes to media during a press conference in Ernakulam to say his superior officer V Thyagarajan put pressure on him to make the murder case into an act of suicide and that he was constantly harassed for not budging to their demands. The case gets mentioned in the Kerala Legislative Assembly
• 1994, June 2: Three Kerala MPs registers complaint against V Thyagarajan to CBI Director K Vijayaramarao. After it, the officer was taken out of the case and transferred to Chennai. DIG ML Sharma takes over the investigation 
• 1996, December 6: CBI submits a report in the court that despite the case being a murder the investigation team didn't find enough evidence of the accused and requested the court to close the case. A report was submitted
• 1997, March 20: The court rejects the report and orders reinvestigation.
• 1999 July 12: The CBI team submits another report requesting closure of case citing no breakthrough to find the culprits.
• 2000, June 23: The Court rejects the report for the second time, orders reinvestigation
• 2005, August 30: The CBI submits, for the third time, to request the closure of the case. 
• 2006, August 21: For the third time, the court rejects the report. CBI directors form a new team under SP R M Krishna and Dy SP R K Agarwal. For the first time, the accused were taken for a narco analysis test
• 2008, September 4: The investigation is moved from the Delhi unit of CBI
• 2008, November 1: DySP Nandakumar (current SP) takes charge of the case
• 2008, November 18: Fr Thomas Kottor, Fr Jose Puthrakayil and Sister Sephy arrested by the CBI team led by Nandakumar Nair. 
• 2008, December 3: Virginity test of Sister Sephy leaks. It comes to fore that she underwent hymenoplasty to restore her virginity. Report by Dr P Rema and Dr Lalithambika Karunakaran also said the nun was sexually very active and her hymen was subject to surgical interference.
• 2009, July 17: CBI submits charge sheet at the CBI court in Ernakulam
• 2011, March 16: The accused submits bail plea
• 2014, March 19: The action council member Joemon Puthanpurakkal files case aginst crime branch SP, KT Michael of tampering with evidence along with others. High court orders CBI to probe the matter.
• 2015, June 30: CBI submits report against Crime Branch DySP K Samuel and arraigned him as a co-accused in Thiruvananthapuram CBI Court
• 2018 January 22: For tampering with evidence CBI special court Judge J Nasar orders to make Crime Branch SP KT Michael as the fourth accused in the case. 
• 2018, March 7: Second accused Fr Jose Puthrakayil gets struck off from the accused list for lack of evidence. Freed from CBI court case. Supreme court rejects bail application of Accused number 1 Fr Thomas Kotoor and accused number 3 Sister Sephy
• 2019, August 26: The trial begins at the CBI court 
• 2020, December 10: All arguments heard, trial ends. 
• 2020, December 22: Court finds Fr Thomas Kotoor and Sister Sephy guilty of the crime. Sister Sephy breaks down in the court. Quantum of punishment to be pronounced on December 23.

READ | Kerala: BJP Blames CPI(M) For Conniving With SDPI Over Temple Vandalism In Palakkad

READ | Kerala BJP Workers Booked For Jai Shri Ram-Shivaji Maharaj Poster; Say Palakkad = Gujarat