Court orders probe into cop’s suicide in Abhaya case

KOCHI - The Kerala High Court Thursday asked the state government to order a probe by an inspector general of police into the suicide of former assistant sub-inspector of police V.V.Augustine, who prepared the inquest report of Sister Abhaya.

A division bench of Justice K.Balakrishan Nair and Justice P.N.Ravindran gave the order on a petition by Kottayam resident Jabberullah who contended the present inquiry into Augustine’s death was tardy.

Director general of prosecution V.G.Govindan Nair, appearing for the government, said there was no problem in an inquiry by a top ranking police official.

Augustine was found dead with his wrist slashed near his home in Kottayam district November 2008. In his suicide note, he held the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) responsible for his death, according to police.

The body of Sister Abhaya, a resident of Pius X Hostel, was found in the well of the Kottayam convent March 27, 1992.

Augustine had prepared the inquest report of Abhaya and the CBI had found several lapses in the report.

Augustine was subjected to truth serum test by the CBI and was questioned several times also. He was found dead just before the CBI filed the charge sheet in the case.

The central agency had named Augustine as an accused but removed his name from the charge sheet after his death.

In November 2008, the CBI arrested Thomas M. Kottor, the Diocesan chancellor of the Catholic Church at Kottayam, Jose Putarika, a former professor at the Kottayam College where Abhaya studied, and Sister Seffi, a resident of the convent when the incident took place.

All the three are on bail and the hearing of the case is going on.