THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The material evidence in the Sister Abhaya case were destroyed by former Crime Branch DySP K Samuel, the prosecution has told the CBI Special Court hearing the sensational case on Monday.
The prosecution argued that Abhaya’s veil, slippers, water bottle and personal diary were destroyed while they were kept in the strong room of the Sub-divisional Magistrate Court, Kottayam. The prosecution argued that the evidence were obliterated to help the accused.
The prosecution also produced Divakaran Nair, a former Upper Division Clerk at SDM Court, Kottayam, who worked there in 1990s, who told the court about the procedures followed when material evidence is brought to the court by investigating agency. He said the materials are verified twice - first by the senior superintendent and then by the section clerk - before it is transferred to the strong room. The prosecution said this procedure was not followed in Abhaya case.
The prosection produced a note by Samuel that had stated that he had handed over the materials to the court. However, the list only had the superintendent’s initials and hadn’t been vetted by the clerk.It lacked the file number. Samuel connived with the superintendent to forge the list to make it appear as though evidence had been handed over to the court. But in reality they hadn’t been.