A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday sentenced Father Thomas Kotoor and Sister Sephy to life imprisonment for murdering Sister Abhaya, who was found dead in a well at Pious X Convent of the Knanaya Catholic order in Kottayam in March 1992.Both were sentenced under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Main accused Thomas Kotoor will have to undergo double life-term for trespassing into the convent (Section 449) but he can undergo both sentences concurrently, the court said.
Besides this, the two convicts will have to undergo seven-year jail for destroying evidence (Section 201) and each will have to pay Rs five lakh fine. They were held guilty by the court on Tuesday.
Earlier, main accused Thomas Kotoor informed the court that he was undergoing treatment for cancer and pleaded for lesser punishment. Sister Sephy also sought commutation but the prosecution opposed their contention saying they deserved no sympathy.
The murder of 19-year-old Sister Abhaya was initially dismissed as a suicide by the state police and crime branch, but the CBI later concluded that it was murder. In 2009, the CBI charge-sheeted Kottoor and Sefi. But the case witnessed many twists and turns and a flurry of petitions which delayed the trial inordinately.
According to the CBI charge-sheet, on the day of her death, Abhaya got up early to study and went to the kitchen to wash her face. The charge-sheet surmised that she witnessed some sexual activity involving the two priests and nun and was killed because they feared she may disclose what she had witnessed.
She was first attacked with an axe and later dumped in the well, the CBI claimed. Although the case created a sensation in Kerala, the church stood by the accused, saying the accused were innocent.
“I am the happiest man today. Both got what they deserved. It is time for the church to do an introspection whether they should shield people like them or not,” said activist Jomon Puthanpurackkal, who took up the case and fought a long legal battle.
Former CBI deputy superintendent of police Verghese P Thomas, who first investigated the case and later opted for voluntary retirement after he allegedly came under pressure to write off the death as a suicide, expressed his satisfaction at the verdict.
Although most witnesses had turned hostile during the trial, the court said a few prosecution witnesses had been convincing.
Interestingly one of the main witnesses in the case was a small-time robber, Raju. He was on the premises of the convent for stealing areca nuts when the incident took place. He reportedly told CBI officers that he saw two priests and a nun at the convent around the time of Abhaya’s death. He later said he was promised many things to own up to the crime and change his statement but he stuck to his testimony.
A day after a CBI court in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram pronounced a catholic priest and a nun guilty of the murder of Sister Abhaya, first accused Father Thomas Kotoor was sentenced to double life term on Wednesday. Third accused Sister Sephy too has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the case that goes back to 1992.
Both accused Thomas Kotoor and Sister Sefi were found guilty of murder (Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code), Section 449 (house trespassing to commit a crime) and Section 201 (destroying evidence) and other sections of the IPC.
In 1992, 19-year-old Sister Abhaya, a plus-two student, was found dead in the well of the Pious X Convent in Kottayam. The case was initially dismissed as a suicide by the state police and crime branch, but the CBI later concluded that it was murder. In 2009, the CBI charge-sheeted Catholic priest Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy in the case.
In 1993, the case went to the CBI after a human rights activist took the matter to the court. In its first report in 1996, the CBI said it was a suicide case but a year after it said in its second report that it was a homicide.
In 2008, the CBI submitted its third report charging two Catholic priests, Father Thomas Kottoor and Father Jose Poothrukayil, and a nun, Sister Sephy with murder, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy and other charges. According to the charge sheet, Abhaya was killed because she was witness to some alleged immoral activity involving two priests and a nun. She was attacked with an axe before being dumped in the well, the central agency claimed.
In 2009, all three of them were granted bail. The trial of the came began in 2019 after 27 years.
One of the main witnesses in the case was a small-time robber, Raju. He was on the premises of the convent for stealing areca nuts when the incident took place. He reportedly told CBI officers that he saw two priests and a nun at the convent around the time of Abhaya’s death. He later said he was promised many things to own up to the crime and change his statement but he stuck to his testimony.
The ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala emerged victorious in the local body polls, while the Bharatiya Janata Party made some satisfactory gains in Kerala.
The Left Democratic Front won more than 500 of the 941 grama panchayats, five of the six city corporations and 11 of the 14 district panchayats.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the primary opposition of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has become insignificant in the state, while the BJP has suffered a humiliating defeat as the people of Kerala has “rejected communal forces” ahead of the assembly elections in April-May 2021.
The UDF trailed behind LSF, winning in more than 400 local bodies.
The Kerala local body polls were held in three phases. The first phase saw a turnout of 73.12 per cent, while the second phase saw 76.78 and the third and final phase 78.64 per cent.
A total of 21,893 wards in 1,200 local self-governing bodies, including six corporations, 941 village panchayats, 14 district panchayats and 87 municipalities went to the polls in on December 8, 10 and 14.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been the face of the party and government — this is his personal triumph; especially after the LDF won only one seat in the Lok Sabha elections. These are not the same as Assembly elections, but the victory will be read as a referendum on his government.
Scandal vs achievement: Vijayan’s office has been caught in the gold smuggling scandal; CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was forced to go on leave after his son was jailed in a drug case. While the opposition went after him, the CM kept the focus on the achievements of his government, especially welfare schemes and grassroots interventions, including housing for the poor.
Mani in central Kerala: Vijayan masterminded the move of the Kerala Congress (M), the Christian party led by Jose K Mani, from the UDF to the LDF, ignoring protests from the CPI. Thanks to the KC(M), the LDF has gained in traditional UDF strongholds in Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta.
Secular politics focus: The Congress’s deal with the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Welfare Party of India allowed the CPM to claim that the UDF was aligning with communal forces. It brought back some Hindu voters who had turned away from the LDF over the entry of women into Sabarimala. The LDF also signalled to Christians who have been upset over Muslim organisations gaining an upper hand in the UDF.
Record of work: During the catastrophic flood of 2018, and in the initial days of the Covid-19 lockdown, LDF-ruled local bodies did a stellar job of crisis management. The government gave local bodies bigger roles in health and education, allowing them to touch people closely
A worrying trend: Congress-led UDF, which won 19 seats out of 20 in the Lok Sabha elections, has done well only in municipalities, winning 45 bodies out of 86. In the last civic body elections of 2010 and 2015, the verdict was against the incumbent ruling front; subsequently, in the Assembly elections of 2011 and 2016, the opposition won. With Assembly polls looming, these trends will worry the Congress.
KC(M) exit blow: The UDF failed to anticipate the damage Jose K Mani, son of the late K M Mani, would do. Jose’s rival in Kerala Cong (M), P J Joseph, failed to stem the Jose tide in central Kerala.
Wrong company: The UDF’s understanding with Jamaat-e-Islami’s Welfare Party of India — which had won several seats with LDF in 2015 — has been counterproductive.Within the UDF too, some Muslim voters were opposed to the Jamaat-e-Islami — and several Muslim religious heads close to the Indian Union Muslim League warned against the alliance. The Jamaat-e-Islami presence on the UDF platform also triggered unrest among pro-Congress Christians — the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council criticised the Congress’s decision.
Gold that didn’t shine: While local issues play a key role in civic body elections, the UDF chose to seek a “vote against corruption”, mainly based on allegations related to the gold smuggling scandal. It did not work, especially in rural areas, and against the LDF’s campaign focus on development and welfare.
A divided house: In several seats, the Congress faced rebels. Disputes over seat-sharing led to UDF allies fielding candidates against each other. In the time of Covid-19, the Congress could not match the LDF’s ground-level electoral machinery and social media campaign.
Increasing numbers: Till late evening, the BJP was leading in 24 village panchayats — better that the 14 it won in 2015. It was not leading in any block or district panchayat, which are bigger, and where political votes matter more. It had won 10 block panchayat divisions, and was leading in several others; in 2015, it had won 21 block panchayat divisions. In municipalities, BJP has improved its presence from 236 divisions to 320 divisions. In corporations, it has gone from 51 members in 2015 to 55 divisions this time.
Sabarimala boost: The BJP had only Palakkad municipality; this time, it has retained Palakkad and wrested Pandalam municipality from the LDF. Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district was the ground zero of protests against the entry of women into Sabarimala in 2018. The BJP has also won several seats in village panchayats in Pathanamthitta.
The BJP has got a majority in only two municipalities, but has made inroads in several others — at Mavelikkara municipality, it is neck and neck with the LDF and UDF; in Varkkala, it is giving the CPM a run for its money. At the LDF citadels of Ottappalam and Shornur municipalities, BJP has made considerable gains. In the Kannur Municipal Corporation, it has defeated the Congress, and in Nilambur municipality in Malappuram and in Ankamali municipality in Ernakulam, the BJP has won a seat each.
Capital hope dashed: Winning the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has been top of the party’s agenda. It has a strong voter base in this urban area. But it could not reach its earlier tally of 34 in the 100-member body. After K Surendran took over as state president, cracks have widened in the party.
The Kerala vigilance and anti-corruption bureau on Wednesday recorded the arrest of former PWD Minister and Muslim League MLA VK Ibrahim Kunju, who is currently admitted to a hospital, in the Palarivattom flyover graft case.
The MLA has been receiving treatment for a health condition for the past one year, and was admitted to a private hospital in Ernakulam on Tuesday night. He is currently continuing his treatment here.
Officials reached the hospital and recorded his arrest. The opposition has claimed the move is politically motivated; an attempt by the state government to avert focus from the gold scam case and various corruption allegations against it.
Construction of the Palarivattom flyover bridge commenced during the tenure of previous UDF government in 2014. The project was completed and opened for commuters shortly after the left government took charge in June 2016. The bridge developed problems in its expansion joints a few months after the inauguration. In 2019, the bridge was closed for traffic.
The state government then launched a vigilance probe into the construction of the bridge. The anti-corruption bureau had earlier arrested four people in the case, including former PwD Secretary T O Sooraj and Managing Director of RDS project Ltd - the company which executed the project - on charges of corruption.
"This arrest is politically motivated. We have information that for the past two to three days, meetings were held in Trivandrum on how he could be arrested. The Kerala government has been criticising the Centre for using central agencies against political opponents, but now they are doing the same," said Muslim league MP P K Kunjalikutty.
Palarivattom is one of the important and busiest junctions in Kochi, central Kerala. For decades, crossing the junction through the national highway bypass had caused trouble to commuters. The long pending proposal to build a flyover at the junction was approved by the UDF government in June 2014. The project is estimated to have cost Rs 75 crore.
The prime accused in the case of Uthra's death following a snakebite at her Anchal house made another confession on Thursday.
In his statement to the Kerala police, Sooraj said that he had given Uthra juice laced with a sedatice before she went to sleep on the night of May 6.This is why Uthra hadn't reacted to the snakebite - a mystery that had been bugging the police for long.
When he was asked earlier about Uthra's reaction to the bite, Sooraj told cops that he was in deep sleep and didn't hear her screams.
As the investigation gained momentum, the police assumed that she could have been sedated. Although, his statement can be confirmed only after receiving the report of the chemical analysis of Uthra's internal organs, said investigation officer and Kollam Crime Branch DySP A Ashokan.
Sooraj added that his wife was administered a similar drug even during the first incident of snake bite at his house at Parakode near Adoor on March 2.
'Sooraj following lawyer's script'
After Sooraj raised allegations before media persons that the police had fabricated evidence against him and tortured him to trap him in a false case, the investigation team came to the conclusion that he was acting as per a pre-planned script.
The team obtained information that he had received legal advice prior to his arrest and was putting on a show in front of the media.
The police arrested him on May 24. Hours before the arrest, he had met an advocate near his house in Adoor. "It is learnt that all allegations made by the accused on Wednesday after the evidence collection at his house were as advised by his lawyer," said Ashokan.
The investigation team discovered that he had retrieved Uthra's gold ornaments from the bank locker on March 2, therefore, the officials visited the bank with the accused but they weren't permitted to open the locker for not following procedure.
Meanwhile, Sooraj's family is trying to get him released on bail. As the bail plea filed in the magistrate court is likely to be rejected, they are planning to move the High Court. He is currently in police custody after the court remanded him in connection with the Uthra murder case.
The accused in the snakebite death of a Keralite woman began to plot his wife’s murder after she sought a divorce from him.The fear of having to return the dowry money had reportedly prompted Sooraj to kill his wife 25-year
old Uthra at her home at Anchal in Kollam district on May 7. During questioning, 27-year-old Sooraj reportedly conceded that he was trying to avoid getting a divorce from his wife .They got married on March 26, 2018. Sooraj began to physically and mentally harass his wife about 3.5 months after their wedding.
Sooraj and Uthra got into a domestic feud at their house at Adoor last January. Uthra's father Vijaysenan and her cousin Shyam had then gone to their house. They said they were taking Uthra back to her home and sought a divorce.
However, Sooraj was not ready to grant her a divorce as he feared he would have to return the 96 sovereigns of gold, Rs 5 lakh, and a car gifted to him during the wedding. Uthra's family had also given a Rs 3.25-lakh pick-up van to his father. He then started plotting for Uthra's murder.
Sooraj had bought the snake from an acquaintance and plotted to kill Uthra in her sleep on May 2. However, the first attempt failed. He planted another snake at Uthra’s room while she was
recuperating at her house on May 7 after the first attack. She did not survive the second attack. Meanwhile, the police said that Uthra's family had given Sooraj money to settle a financial fraud
at his former workplace. Sooraj had reportedly committed fraud at the financial firm and the management threatened to approach the police. Then Uthra's father gave Rs 50,000 to settle the issue.
Sooraj currently worked at a firm that gave home appliances on instalments. As he constantly complained that the salary was not enough for his family, Uthra's father deposited Rs 8,000 in her account every month.
The police have found more evidence in the case. The cops had dug out the remains of a snake from Uthra's house premises. A post-mortem confirmed that it was a cobra.
The fangs and the venomous snake’s remains were collected for more tests. The 1.5-metre-long snake was in a decayed state. The wound on Uthra's left hand and the size of the fangs would be compared . The bottle used to store the snake was found earlier. This bottle would also be examined to find any secretions of the snake.
Assistant veterinary surgeon Dr K J Kishore conducted the post-mortem at a temporary arrangement set up near Uthra's house. As there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the probe team is trying to collect maximum scientific evidence. The remains of the snake were buried near the spot where Uthra's body was cremated.
The Crime Branch will question Sooraj from Wednesday. Due to the post-mortem of the snake on Tuesday Sooraj's statements could not be taken. Suresh Kumar, who had given snakes to Sooraj, will also be questioned. The court had sent the duo to police custody for five days. The cops have also seized
the bike in which Sooraj had taken the snake to Uthra's house.
Sooraj confessed that he had twice tried to kill Uthra through snakebite. However, he said that he had no role in the instance in which a viper was found on top of the staircase. But questions
remain on how the snake managed to slither across the smooth tiled floor.
The global death toll from the coronavirus spread breached the 4,000-mark on Tuesday and the outbreak has spread to over 100 countries with more than 110,000 cases of infection. In India, the number of confirmed virus cases rose to more than 50. However, there has been no case of death reported so far. Israel's confirmed Covid-19 toll reaches 50
Eleven new cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in Israel which raised the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 50, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.
Due to coronavirus, cinema theatres will remain closed from tomorrow till March 31 in the state. The decision was taken at a meeting of various Malayalam cinema organizations in Kochi.Chicken sales decline by 35% as govt battles speculation on coronavirus
Poultry industry experts say chicken sales have declined by nearly 35 per cent in recent weeks even as the government mounts efforts to counter rumours that deadly coronavirus can be transmitted by consuming it.Kerala government has come out with massive restrictions and regulations to check the spread of Covid-19 in the state. In all 15 cases have been reported from the state and the affected persons have been put under isolation wards of different hospitals. Three Wuhan returned students, who were tested positive for the virus were discharged earlier.
3 new cases in Karnataka; 6 in Kerala
In Kerala, four positive cases have been reported in Kottayam and two in Pathanmathiita. In total, 12 cases have been reported in the state so far. Parents of the Italy returned person who a re-admitted at Kottayam medical college who are 90 and 85 years old have been tested positive. The two people who had gone to pick the people from airport who had come from Italy have also been tested positive. In Karnataka, three new cases have been reported.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus a virus closely related to the SARS virus.[10][11][12] The disease was discovered and named during the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak.[13][14] Those affected may develop a fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath.[7][15][16] A sore throat, runny nose or sneezing is less common.[17] While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms,[18] some can progress to pneumonia and multi-organ failure.
The infection is spread from one person to others via respiratory droplets produced from the airways, often during coughing or sneezing.[19][20] Time from exposure to onset of symptoms is generally between 2 and 14 days, with an average of 5 days.[21][22][23] The standard method of diagnosis is by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab or sputum sample, with results within a few hours to 2 days. Antibody assays can also be used, using a blood serum sample, with results within a few days. The infection can also be diagnosed from a combination of symptoms, risk factors and a chest CT scan showing features of pneumonia.
Correct handwashing technique, maintaining distance from people who are coughing and not touching one's face with unwashed hands are measures recommended to prevent the disease. It is also recommended to cover one's nose and mouth with a tissue or a bent elbow when coughing.[27] Masks are recommended in those who suspect they have the virus and for those who are taking care of someone with a suspected infection but not for the general public. There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, with management involving treatment of symptoms, supportive care and experimental measures.[30] The case fatality rate is estimated at between 1% and 3%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). As of 7 March 2020, evidence of local transmission of the disease has been found in multiple countries across all six WHO regions.
Signs and symptoms
Those infected may either be asymptomatic or develop symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Diarrhea or upper respiratory symptoms (e.g. sneezing, runny nose, sore throat) are less frequent. Cases can progress to pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death in the most vulnerable.
The incubation period ranges from 1 to 14 days with an estimated median incubation period of 5 to 6 days according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Another study of 1,099 Chinese patients found that CT scans showed ground-glass opacities in 56% of patients, but 18% had no radiological findings. 5% of patients were admitted to intensive care units, 2.3% needed mechanical support of ventilation, and 1.4% died.[39] Bilateral and peripheral ground glass opacities are the most typical CT findings, according to researcher Bernheim et al. Consolidation, linear opacities, reverse halo sign are other radiological findings. Initially the lesions are located to one lung, but as the disease progress, indications manifest to both lungs in 88% of patients.[40] Children seem to handle the disease better than adults as the symptoms are usually milder, but sufficient evidence is still lacking.
Cause
The disease is caused by the virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), previously referred to as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).[11] It is primarily spread between people via respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes.
The virus accesses host cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is found in various organs of the body, but it is most abundant in the type II alveolar cells of the lungs. This explains why lungs are the most affected organs. The density of ACE2 in each patient is a determent of the severity of the disease.[43][44] As the disease at the alveolare progresses, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) develops, which might lead to respiratory failure and death might ensue.[44] ACE2 might also be the path for the virus to assault he heart causing acute cardiac injury. Patients with existing cardiovascular conditions have worst prognosis.
The virus is thought to have an animal origin.[46] Ξ€here has been a "continuous common source" of the outbreak in December 2019, which would imply that several animal-to-human zoonotic events occurred at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. The primary source of infection became human-to-human transmission in early January 2020.
Diagnosis
The WHO has published several testing protocols for the disease.[51][52] The standard method of testing is real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).[53] The test can be done on respiratory samples obtained by various methods, including nasopharyngeal swab or sputum sample.[54] Results are generally available within a few hours to 2 days. Blood tests can be used, but these require two blood samples taken two weeks apart and the results have little immediate value.[57] Chinese scientists were able to isolate a strain of the coronavirus and publish the genetic sequence so that laboratories across the world could independently develop polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect infection by the virus.
COVID-19 testing can also be done with antibody test kits.[64] Antibody assays use a blood serum sample and can provide a positive result even if the person has recovered and the virus is no longer present.[24] The first antibody test was demonstrated by a team at the Wuhan Institute of Virology on 17 February 2020.[65][24] On 25 February, a team from Duke–NUS Medical School in Singapore announced another antibody test for COVID-19 that can provide a result within a few days.
Diagnostic guidelines released by Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University suggested methods for detecting infections based upon clinical features and epidemiological risk. These involved identifying patients who had at least two of the following symptoms in addition to a history of travel to Wuhan or contact with other infected patients: fever, imaging features of pneumonia, normal or reduced white blood cell count, or reduced lymphocyte count.[25] A study published by a team at the Tongji Hospital in Wuhan on 26 February 2020 showed that a chest CT scan for COVID-19 has more sensitivity (98%) than the polymerase chain reaction (71%).[26] False negative results maybe the outcome of PRC-Kit failure or because of problems of the tissue sample. False positive results have also been reported.
Prevention
Global health organisations have published preventive measures to reduce the chances of infection in locations with an outbreak of the disease. Recommendations are similar to those published for other coronaviruses: stay home, avoid travel and public activities, wash hands with soap and hot water often, practice good respiratory hygiene, and avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.[69][70]
According to the WHO, the use of masks is recommended if a person is coughing or sneezing or when one is taking care of someone with a suspected infection.[71]
To prevent transmission of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that infected individuals stay at home except to get medical care, call ahead before visiting a healthcare provider, wear a face mask (especially in public), cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, regularly wash hands with soap and water, and avoid sharing personal household items.[72]
The CDC recommended that individuals wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the toilet or when hands are visibly dirty, before eating, and after blowing one's nose, coughing, or sneezing. It further recommended using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol, but only when soap and water are not readily available.[69] The WHO advises individuals to avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.[70]
In early 2020, the WHO said it did not expect a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 to become available in less than 18 months. Several are under development using a variety of approaches, with at least one expected to begin Phase I safety trials in March, 2020.
Management
There are no specific antiviral medications. Symptoms are managed with supportive care.[75] The WHO and Chinese National Health Commission have published treatment recommendations for taking care of people who are hospitalized with COVID19.[76][77] Steroids such as methylprednisolone are not recommended unless the disease is complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome.[78][79] The CDC recommends that those who suspect they carry the virus should wear a facemask.[28]
Management of patients infected by the virus includes taking precautions while applying therapeutic maneuvers, especially those who entail generating aerosols like intubation or hand ventilation.
