Kerala professor T.J. Joseph hand-chopping case: NIA nabs first accused 13 years after incident

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Savad, the first accused in the sensational Prof. T.J. Joseph hand-chopping case, 13 years after the gruesome incident. He was set to be produced before the NIA Special Court in Kochi on January 10 afternoon

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Savad, the first accused in the sensational Prof. T.J. Joseph hand-chopping case, 13 years after the gruesome incident.

Savad was arrested from a rented house in Beram ward under the Mattannur municipality in Kannur district of Kerala on January 9 (Tuesday). He had been doing carpentry works during his five-month stay in the area.

He was set to be produced before the NIA Special Court in Kochi on January 10 (Wednesday) afternoon. The agency will seek his custody as part of collecting crucial evidence in the case.

The NIA had announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for information on Savad last year.

A native of Asamannoor in Ernakulam district, the 38-year-old had allegedly chopped off the right hand of T.J. Joseph, then professor of Newman College at Thodupuzha in Idukki district. The attack was carried out by a group of activists of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) while he was returning home with his family after attending a Sunday Mass at a church at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district on July 4, 2010.

According to investigation agency, it was a reference to Prophet Muhammad in one of the question papers for BCom exams in March 2010 set by Prof. Joseph that provoked the accused to attack the professor.

There were 54 accused in the case. As many as 37 were chargesheeted and 31 faced trial. Of the 31, the Special Court for NIA convicted 13 accused and acquitted 18 others in April 2015.