NIA court convicts six PFI members for chopping off professor’s hand in Kochi

A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Kochi has convicted six people in the sensational case of chopping off the hand of a Kerala university professor in 2010. All the convicts are alleged members of the banned radical Islamic organization Popular Front of India. (PFIs).

Special NIA judge Anil K Bhaskar convicted them of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and other offenses under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the second phase of the trial. Some of these accused have also been convicted under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The other five accused were acquitted in this case.

In the first phase of the trial, 31 accused faced trial, 10 of whom were convicted by the court in April 2015 under the UAPA as well as the Explosives Act and the IPC. In addition, the court convicted three others for providing shelter to the defendant. The court then acquitted 18 others in the case.

Professor TJ Joseph of Newman College, Thodupuzha, Idukki district, had his right hand chopped off on July 4, 2010, by alleged members of the now-banned Islamic organization PFI.

The attack took place when he (the professor) was returning home with his family from a church at Moovattupuzha in Ernakulam district after Sunday prayers.

The attackers, who were in a group of seven, dragged the professor out of the vehicle, assaulted him, and cut off his right hand. Sawad, the main accused in the incident, is still absconding.

According to the police, who initially investigated the case, the accused wanted to kill Joseph because of his derogatory religious remarks while preparing a question for the B.Com semester examination at Newman College.