NEW DELHI: Sister Sephy, an accused in the murder of a nun in Kerala, Thursday approached the Delhi High Court seeking compensation from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly tarnishing her image by leaking the result of a virginity test conducted on her.
The body of Sister Abhaya, a resident of Pius X Hostel, was found in the well of the Kottayam convent in Kerala March 27, 1992.
The CBI had arrested three people, including Sephy, Nov 19, 2008, but all secured bail Jan 1, 2009.
Justice V.K. Shali, however, refused to issue any notice to any of the parties and asked counsel for Sister Sephy to satisfy the court on the matter of jurisdiction and slated the next hearing for Jan 15, 2010.
CBI counsel Vikas Pahwa opposed Sister Sephy's plea to the Delhi High Court, and contended that the Delhi High Court has no jurisdiction in this case as everything is under the purview of the Kerala High Court.
Sister Sephy stated in her petition: "She was undergone the virginity test against her will. She was subjected to custodial torture and the CBI officials also made hers sign some papers."
Denying allegations of the CBI that Sephy has undergone hymenoplasty, Sephy said: "Hymenoplasty is not possible in India and is prevalent in Western countries, and since I don't have the passport I can't visit any of the countries."
Demanding action and compensation from the errant CBI officials, her petition states: "There is violation of fundamental rights in subjecting her to undergo virginity test against her free will by the officials of the CBI, so disciplinary action should be taken against them."
The charge sheet filed by the CBI in July has named 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 Sephy, a resident of the convent at the time of the murder, as the three accused.