KOCHI: Ending the 13-year-long chase, fugitive Savad who chopped the hand of Professor TJ Joseph in 2010 over question paper row was taken into custody from Kannur on Tuesday night.
NIA’s fugitive tracking wing based on a tip-off raided an undisclosed location at Mattannur in Kannur late at night and took Savad into custody.
He was brought to the NIA office in Kochi on Wednesday morning. Savad, 37, of Mudasseri house, at Nooleli, Asamannoor in Ernakulam was absconding since July 10 when a five-member assailant group chosen by PFI pulled Joseph out of his car and chopped his hand near his house in Muvattupuzha.
Savad who escaped to Bengaluru after the incident remained underground for 13 years.
NIA had declared a bounty of Rs 10 lakhs on him. An Interpol red-corner notice was also issued against him.
There were as many as 54 accused persons in the case and only Savad was remaining to be arrested in the case. The trial of the case was held in two phases at the NIA court which convicted 19 persons.