KOCHI: Having convicted 13 persons in the case relating to the chopping off of a college professor’s palm, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court will frame charges against 11 other accused persons who were arrested in recent years on Friday.
Those set to undergo trial include one of the main conspirators and a member of the seven-man assailant group that chopped off TJ Joseph’s palm. Of around 51 persons accused in the case, 45 were chargesheeted by NIA. As many as 31 persons faced trial and 13 were convicted in 2015. Savad, who chopped the teacher’s palm, is the sole accused still on the run.
Sources said the NIA court will frame charges against Sajil, who was among the seven-member group that attacked Joseph, M K Nazar, one of the key conspirators, Shafeeq, Najeeb, Asiz Odakali, Mohammed Rafi, Subair T P, M K Noushad, Mansoor, P P Moideen Kunju and P M Ayoob. “They were arrested, while some surrendered, after the trial started against 31 accused persons in 2013. The court will read out the chargesheet against the accused as part of framing charges. Later, the trial will be scheduled,” an NIA official said.There are around 306 witnesses, 963 documents and 227 material objects in the case. All these witnesses will have to be summoned as part of the trial.
The incident leading to the sensational case happened on July 4, 2010, when Joseph -- then a professor with Newman College, Thodupuzha -- and his family were returning from church. Their car was blocked by a seven-member group near his residence in Muvattupuzha. After breaking the vehicle’s glasses and assaulting other family members, Joseph was pulled out and his right palm was chopped off by first accused Savad, saying that Joseph had ridiculed Islam using his hand and that he should not write any more with that hand.
Later, they threw the severed palm. The allegation against Joseph was that the question paper he prepared for the second-semester BCom examination had a reference to Prophet Mohammed which the accused persons, chiefly members of the Popular Front of India, claimed as blasphemous. After the incident, Joseph underwent surgery. The college reinstated him as professor in the days leading up to his retirement date.
Main conspirator to undergo trial
Those set to undergo trial include one of the main conspirators and a member of the seven-man assailant group that chopped off T J Joseph’s palm.