THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Back in 1992, when Sr Abhaya was found dead in the well of Pius X Convent in Kottayam, it did spawn a few whimpers. The sceptics had doubts over the state police's claim that it was a case of suicide, but it required quite an uproar to make the world reckon how farcical the probe was turning out to be.
Justice seemed to be eluding the 19-year-old nun. That was when the Abhaya Action Council and its convenor stepped in. The Action Council was formed on the fourth day of Abhaya’s murder with Kottayam municipal chairman PC Cheriyan as its chairman and Jomon Puthenpurackal as convenor. It was the grittiness of Jomon that steered the council to pursue the case closely.
Twenty years later, as the CBI Special Court reckoned that Abhaya was murdered, Jomon felt that his crusade has come to fruition. "In the last 28 years, several people interfered to sabotage the case. The accused, using their influence, tried to eliminate me. The Knanaya Church went a step further and turned my brother and relatives against me," Jomon said.
Jomon said he had a steely resolve while intervening in the case. Had not I intervened, this case could have been sabotaged. I stood up and fought a legal battle despite the fact that I had only studied up to Class VI,” he said.