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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested the key and last absconding accused in Kerala's professor palm chopping case, bringing its investigations into the horrendous incident to a successful culmination.
Savad, who had been on the run for the last 13 years and was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh for his arrest, was nabbed from Mattannur, Kannur (Kerala) following sustained efforts. Savad was identified as the main accused in the infamous 2010 case of attempted murder of Professor TJ Joseph by chopping off his palm, the NIA said. "Savad was charge-sheeted on January 10, 2011, in the case, one of the earliest such incidents in India reflecting the ideology of violent extremism being pursued by the Popular Front of India (PFI)," said the anti-terror agency. A total of 19 accused have so far been convicted for various offences under the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case. Of them, three have been convicted for life and 10 others have been sent to eight years of Rigorous Imprisonment and fine. As per the NIA, all the accused in the case were either leaders, activists or cadres of the now-banned PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), and were actively involved in the criminal conspiracy relating to the lethal attack on Professor T. J. Joseph at Muvattupuzha. The assailants had chopped off the palm of the professor for allegedly ridiculing Prophet Mohammed in a Malayalam question paper prepared for the internal examination of B.Com. students at Newman College, Thodupuzha, Idukki district. The accused had deemed the question as provocative and had carried out the barbaric daylight attack on the Professor in the presence of his family members on July 4, 2010. The accused had attacked the professor while the family was returning from church after the Sunday morning mass. The assailants had also hurled a bomb to spread terror among the public before escaping from the scene. The attack had exposed the PFI's nefarious and violent intent and designs to terrorise people and society by targeting the critics of Islam and prominent persons of other religions, and to enforce the decisions of 'Dar-ul-Khada', their pseudo Taliban styled court. The case was originally registered on July 4, 2010, at Muvattupuzha Police Station in Ernakulam district. It was subsequently taken over by NIA, which had launched an extensive probe into the matter. The NIA has been consistently tightening the noose around the PFI across India. Several cases registered by the agency against PFI have revealed a conspiracy to overthrow India's democratically elected government and establish an Islamic State in the country by 2047. (ANI)
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