In a breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) successfully apprehended the prime suspect in the shocking hand-chopping case of a Kerala professor that occurred over a decade ago. The main conspirator, Savad, who had been evading capture for the past 13 years, was finally taken into custody in Mattannur, Kannur, Kerala.

The incident, involving the attempted murder of Professor TJ Joseph, former head of the Malayalam department at Newman College, dates back to January 2010. Joseph was brutally attacked, and his palm was severed by a group of workers affiliated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district. The assailants fled after detonating a crude bomb, leaving Joseph with a severed left palm.

Savad, identified as the main accused in the attempted murder case, had been on the run since the incident and carried a reward of Rs 10 on his arrest. He was officially named in the chargesheet in January 2011.

A total of 19 individuals linked to the now-banned PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) have been convicted for their involvement in the criminal conspiracy against Joseph. Among them, three received life sentences, and 10 others were sentenced to eight years of rigorous imprisonment along with fines.

The attackers, all either leaders or activists of the banned groups, were found guilty of actively plotting and executing the assault on Joseph, according to the NIA.

It's worth noting that the Union Home Ministry imposed a five-year ban on the PFI and its eight affiliated organizations on September 27, 2022, citing their propagation of communal hatred and engagement in 'unlawful activities' detrimental to the country's integrity, sovereignty, and security.

The gruesome incident took place on July 4, 2010, when the accused targeted Professor Joseph for allegedly ridiculing Prophet Mohammed in a Malayalam question paper. The attackers considered the question provocative and carried out a barbaric daylight assault on the professor while he was with his family after the Sunday morning mass.

The assailants, a group of seven, forcibly pulled Joseph out of the vehicle, assaulted him, and then brutally chopped off his right hand. Before fleeing the scene, they also hurled a bomb to create panic among the public. The case was initially filed at Muvattupuzha Police Station and later taken over by the NIA.

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