Sister Abhaya case: Handwriting expert lends weight to inquest report forgery
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A retired senior scientific examiner of Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) on Monday testified before the CBI Special Court hearing Sister Abhaya murder case that the signatures on the inquest report and the specimen signatures sent to the lab for verification did not match.
Handwriting expert M A Ali, who had examined the signature of the witnesses in the inquest report during the CBI probe, said no link could be drawn between the signatures on the inquest report and the specimen signatures. Similar report was submitted to the investigating agency after the examination, Ali added.
The CBI argument was that the original inquest report prepared by the local police was destroyed to weaken the case and the second report was made after forging the signs of the witnesses. John Scaria, TA Nazeer and Xavier had attested their signature in the original inquest report. However, when the new report was fabricated, their signatures were forged in it.
Scaria had earlier told the court that his signature was forged in the current inquest report. Ex-cop M M Thomas too had earlier told the court that he was witness to the destruction of the original inquest report by then Assistant Sub-inspector VV Augustine.
As per CBI version, the original inquest prepared by Kottayam West Police had mentioned that Abhaya was wearing only a gown when her body was recovered from the well of St Pius X Convent. It also had mentions of the nun’s veil, slippers and the hand axe which was reportedly used to bludgeon her.
However, this report was destroyed by Augustine. In the new report, it was stated that Abhaya had worn an innerwear made of banyan cloth underneath her gown. The other materials were willfully not mentioned in the new report, CBI had alleged. The inquest report and the specimen signatures of the three witnesses were sent to the CFSL by CBI to check the authenticity of the report. Augustine was arraigned as an accused pertaining to destruction of inquest report by the CBI.