New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested the key accused in the Kerala professor hand-chopping case of 2010, officials said. The accused, identified as Savad, was on the run for the last 13 years and carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh.
He was arrested from Mattannur in Kerala's Kannur, the agency said in a statement.
Professor TJ Joseph's palm was chopped off in Idukki for allegedly ridiculing Prophet Mohammed in a question paper for internal examination, reported PTI.
According to a NIA spokesperson, "Savad was identified as the main accused in the infamous 2010 case of attempted murder of Professor TJ Joseph by chopping off his palm. He was charge-sheeted on 10th January 2011 in the case, one of the earliest such incidents in India reflecting the ideology of violent extremism being pursued by the Popular Front of India (PFI)," reported PTI.
So far, nineteen accused have been convicted for various offences under the IPC and UA(P) Act in the case. Of them, three have been convicted for life and 10 others have been sent to eight years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and fine.
"All the accused in the case were either leaders or activists/cadres of the now banned PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), and were actively involved in the criminal conspiracy relating to the lethal attack on Professor TJ Joseph at Muvattupuzha," the spokesperson added, reported PTI.
The right hand of Joseph, a professor of Newman College in Thodupuzha in the Idukki district, was chopped off by the alleged PFI activists on July 4, 2010.
The attack took place while he was returning home with his family after attending a Sunday mass at a church in Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district, reported PTI.
As per the report, the attackers, a group of seven people, pulled the professor out of the vehicle, assaulted him, and then his right hand was chopped off by the main accused Savad.