THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Considering the unusual number of witnesses in the case and the extraordinary time taken for examination of each witness, the CBI special court decided to extend sitting time for one more hour every day to hear Sister Abhaya murder case.
From Wednesday, the court will convene at 10am instead of 11am, when other district courts and magistrate courts in the state begin the day's work. The suggestion of special judge K Sanilkumar in this regard was accepted by CBI prosecutor and defence lawyers at the end of the hearing on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Varghese Chacko, the photographer who took the pictures of Sister Abhaya's dead body during inquest, deposed before the court that four of the 10 pictures he had submitted to the investigators had gone missing. Chacko said the missing pictures had close-up visuals of Abhaya's face and neck and injury marks were visible in those. Responding to CBI prosecutor advocate Navas's queries, Chacko said he had submitted the photographs and negative to a policeman as directed by the then crime branch SP K T Michael.
Social worker Kalarkodu Venugopalan, who told the court on Monday that Fr Thomas Kottoor had confessed to the crime to him a few months before his arrest in 2008, was cross examined by defence lawyers B Raman Pillai and J Jose. Pillai said Venugopalan had been a litigant who had targeted Christian priests. He filed a case against Divine retreat centre in Potta, Chalakkudy after the high court-monitored probe had been wound up.
Venugopalan said he withdrew that petition after the Supreme Court asked him what had been his special interest in the case. Pillai said Venugopalan had also sued Fr Mathukutty of Kripa Bhavan in Alappuzha in the rape and murder case of a girl. The allegation of the defence lawyer that he had nurtured a hatred for other religions was vehemently denied by Venugopalan. Advocate Jose alleged that there were serious inconsistencies in the statements given by Venugopalan to CBI sleuths, magistrate and now the CBI court.
On Wednesday, the court will examine two hostel mates of Sr Abhaya.
From Wednesday, the court will convene at 10am instead of 11am, when other district courts and magistrate courts in the state begin the day's work. The suggestion of special judge K Sanilkumar in this regard was accepted by CBI prosecutor and defence lawyers at the end of the hearing on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Varghese Chacko, the photographer who took the pictures of Sister Abhaya's dead body during inquest, deposed before the court that four of the 10 pictures he had submitted to the investigators had gone missing. Chacko said the missing pictures had close-up visuals of Abhaya's face and neck and injury marks were visible in those. Responding to CBI prosecutor advocate Navas's queries, Chacko said he had submitted the photographs and negative to a policeman as directed by the then crime branch SP K T Michael.
Social worker Kalarkodu Venugopalan, who told the court on Monday that Fr Thomas Kottoor had confessed to the crime to him a few months before his arrest in 2008, was cross examined by defence lawyers B Raman Pillai and J Jose. Pillai said Venugopalan had been a litigant who had targeted Christian priests. He filed a case against Divine retreat centre in Potta, Chalakkudy after the high court-monitored probe had been wound up.
Venugopalan said he withdrew that petition after the Supreme Court asked him what had been his special interest in the case. Pillai said Venugopalan had also sued Fr Mathukutty of Kripa Bhavan in Alappuzha in the rape and murder case of a girl. The allegation of the defence lawyer that he had nurtured a hatred for other religions was vehemently denied by Venugopalan. Advocate Jose alleged that there were serious inconsistencies in the statements given by Venugopalan to CBI sleuths, magistrate and now the CBI court.
On Wednesday, the court will examine two hostel mates of Sr Abhaya.
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