Two accused admit corrections in Abhaya report

Former chief chemical examiner R Geetha and chemical analyst M Chitra on Friday admitted that corrections had been carried out in the report on Sister Abhaya’s internal organs. Denying the allegations against them in the Sister Abhaya case, both of them told the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here that the corrections were made so as to put on record the correct findings.

They told the court that no sexual harassment had taken place and traces of semen were not detected in the vaginal swab and smear of Sister Abhaya. The court had directly questioned the two accused under section 313 of the Cr.PC, which states that the court could question an accused on the basis of evidence alleged by the prosecution.

The CJM court posted the case to September 14. Meanwhile, the CBI court also posted the petitions seeking further investigation in the Sister Abhaya case to September 11. CBI Special Judge T S P Moosath posted the case after more time was sought for filing reply to the allegations against former Crime Branch Superintendent, Kottayam, K T Michael.   Chandrasekhar, appearing for Michael, said that it was not proper on the part of the CBI to raise the same allegations against Michael again and again. He said that the High Court in 1999 had expunged the observations against Michael. The CBI, in an affidavit submitted in the court, had pointed out that Michael, while in charge of the probe into the case, had made grievous flaws and instructed his subordinates to tamper with the evidence.

Chandrashekar said that the CBI had only mentioned the earlier allegations against Michael. The pleas for further investigation had been filed by Abhaya Action Council convenor Jomon Puthenpurackal, advocate P Nagaraj and Michael. The CBI had strongly opposed the request for further investigation. In the petitions, they have said that the present chargesheet filed by the CBI probe team lacked clarity and it appeared that a full-fledged investigation had not been conducted in the case.