Sister Abhaya case: Recently, the CBI stated that the Crime Branch destroyed the evidence in connection with the Sister Abhaya case.
CBI DYSP Devarajan, who investigated the case on the destruction of evidence as per court direction, informed the court that Crime Branch officer K Samuel, who probed the case, was responsible for destroying the evidence.
In the follow-up investigation, it was found held in 2014 that K Samuel had taken back the evidence like Abhaya’s clothes, headgear and footwear from the RDO court as part of the investigation. Later, Abhaya’s personal diary was found by the Crime Branch. But, they returned only the diary to the court in March 1993 before the CBI took over the case.
Devarajan informed the court that the officials burnt this diary by mistake while cleaning the office as directed by the RDO. This took place in June 1993. When the CBI took over the case, the then CBI DYSP Varghese P Thomas was the investigating officer in Hamsa murder case. As he was busy with its trial in the court, he could not file a request in the RDO court for the evidence, Devarajan stated during the cross-trial.
Devarajan further said that if a request was filed in the first place, the diary could have been protected. He also said that when the High Court entrusted him with the probe regarding the destruction of evidence, it had strictly directed not to extend the investigation into other matters related to the case. Devarajan stated this before CBI court judge K Sanil Kumar. Public prosecutor M Navas appeared for the CBI.
AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria co-authors book on India’s fight against Covid
