Justice for Sister Lucy, an association of Keralites living across the globe, submitted a memorandum to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday urging a fair probe into the death of Divya P Johny, a student nun. The 21-year-old was found dead in the well of the Basilian Sisters Convent near Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta on Thursday.
"The investigation shouldn't yield to any pressure from the heads of the Church as well as that of the political leaders and the culprits should be punished by bringing them before law," the memorandum said.
"There is no possibility to jump into or fall into the well, which has a protective wall and an iron cover. It’s unlikely to get injured by falling into the well too, since it doesn’t have much water in it. The nun who claimed that she saw Divya falling into the well neither tried to rescue the latter, nor did she cry out for help,” the memorandum said, raising questions about why the convent authorities delayed informing the police about the incident for an hour. They further questioned why Divya’s body was shifted to a church-run hospital before the police arrived.
Since there is possibility of destruction of evidence, the diocese head and convent authorities must be put under surveillance, the group further said.
The association was formed to support justice for sister Lucy Kalappura, a whistleblower nun who speaks out against unfair practices inside the Church.
Meanwhile Sister Lucy has written a post on Facebook about the mysterious deaths of nuns. “Divya was only 21 when she died, who is responsible for the death, will her parents get justice? And police would conduct a flawless investigation? I am not that hopeful,” she wrote.
“If even the deaths of nuns don’t reach the news, what happens to the human rights violations that are happening in convents,” she asked.
Sister Lucy also listed out the names of nuns who have died in mysterious circumstances in the state: “Sister Linda in the water tank of a convent in 1987. Sister Magdela who was killed in Thilleri in Kollam in 1990. Sister Abhaya in the well of Pious Tenth convent in 1992. Sister Mercy in Kottiyam in Kollam in 1993. Sister Anees, dead in the well of the convent of Pulpally Marakav convent in 1994. Sister Bincy who was found dead a convent in Pala in 1998. Sister Jyothis in the well of Kallurutty convent in Kozhikode in 1998. Sister Polsy who was killed in Pala Snehagiri convent in 2000. Sister Ancy Varghese in Ranni in 2006. Sister Linsa in Vakathanam in 2006. Sister Anupa Maria in Kollam in 2008. Sister Mary Ancy in Poonkulam in Thiruvananthapuram in 2011.”
“How many of the cases have been proved? In how many have culprits been convicted and how dead bodies of nuns are needed to open up the eyes of the society?” she asked.