NIA Arrests Main Accused in Kerala Professor Hand-Chopping Case

Thiruvananthapuram: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Savad Meerankutty, 38, the first accused in the gruesome incident of hand chopping of a professor in Kochi 13 years ago.

The accused was the one who chopped off the right palm of T J Joseph, a professor at the Newman College in Thodupuzha on July  4, 2010. A eight -member gang, all belonging to PFI which is a banned organisation now, brutally attacked Joseph while he was returning home along with his family after attending the local church service.

The attack was carried out to kill Joseph for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad in a question paper he set for a college examination. Savad was absconding after the incident and the NIA had last year announced a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh for anyone who gave information about him.

The NIA team took him into custody from a rented house in Mattanur Beram ward where he had been living for the past 18 months under the false name Shahjahan. He used to go out for work regularly along with a group of migrant workers. According to residents, Savad had no connection with them.

Soon after the crime on July 4, 2010, the Kerala crime branch got a tip that Savad fled to Bengaluru from Aluva. There were also reports that he could have escaped to Nepal and from there to Afghanistan.

It may be recalled that the Kochi NIA special court on July 13, this year sentenced three main accused in the professor hand-chopping case to life imprisonment.

The life imprisonment was awarded to Sajil, 36, who is the second accused, M K Nassar, 46, the third accused and K A Najeeb, 42, the fifth accused. The prosecution case pertained to the chopping off of Prof  T. J Joseph's hand in Taliban style on July 4, 2010. The heinous crime that shocked the conscience of Kerala was carried out alleging blasphemy in the question paper set by Joseph who was a professor at the Newman College in Thodupuzha.

The NIA court which completed the second phase of the trial, had acquitted five accused on July 12.

The prosecution had sought life imprisonment for Sajil, who was directly involved in the act of chopping off the hand of  Prof Joseph, PFI leader and mastermind of the crime M K Nasser and Najeeb, who was involved in the planning.

Accepting the prosecution case, the court sentenced the three to life imprisonment. The other three accused Noushad, Moideen Kunju and Ayyub were found guilty of helping the accused escape after the crime. They were sentenced to three years in jail.

The court had also directed all the accused to pay Rs 4 lakh to T J Joseph.

The court had earlier sentenced 13 accused who faced the trial in the first phase. As many as eighteen accused were acquitted then.

The trial of the second phase got delayed due to the related lockdown.

The gruesome incident

A gang of eight people came in a Maruti van and waylaid Professor Joseph near his home at Muvattupuzha on July 4, 2010.

Joseph's sister, Stella Joseph, who witnessed the horrific crime said around eight people armed with swords and knives came in a van and intercepted their vehicle. They pulled the professor out of the vehicle after smashing the windscreen.

They chopped off his right hand and stabbed him in the left thigh.

The assailants attacked Stella and her mother when they tried to counter the attack. The attackers, before fleeing from the spot, hurled bombs creating terror in the area.