Thodupuzha Hand-Chopping Case: Sajil, Nassar, Najeeb Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

In a significant development, the special NIA court in Thodupuzha has handed down life sentences to three individuals involved in the infamous hand-chopping case. Second convict Sajil (36), third convict M K Nasar (46), and fifth convict K A Najeeb (42) have been sentenced to life imprisonment, accompanied by a penalty of Rs 50,000. The case revolves around the horrific attack on Malayalam professor T J Joseph by Islamic fundamentalists.

Six people were found guilty in the case, with the other three convicts—P P Moideen Kunju (60), M K Naushad (48), and P M Ayoob (48)—receiving three-year jail terms. The Special NIA court judge, Anil K Bhaskar, concluded that the six activists belonging to the banned radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) were guilty of attempted murder, conspiracy, and various other offenses under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Some of the accused were also charged with offenses under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). However, the court acquitted the five remaining accused in the case.

During the first phase of the trial, 31 individuals faced prosecution. In April 2015, the court convicted ten of them for offenses under the UAPA, as well as the Explosive Substances Act and the IPC. Additionally, three others were found guilty of harboring the offenders. At the same time, the court acquitted 18 others involved in the case.

The brutal incident occurred on July 4, 2010, when T J Joseph, a professor at Newman College in Thodupuzha, Idukki district, had his right hand chopped off by activists of the now-outlawed Islamic outfit PFI. The attack took place while he was returning home with his family after attending Sunday mass at a church in Muvattupuzha, Ernakulam district. The assailants, a group of seven people, forcibly removed the professor from his vehicle, assaulted him, and ultimately severed his right hand. The primary accused, Savad, remains at large.

The police, who initially investigated the case, revealed that the accused intended to kill Joseph due to alleged derogatory religious remarks in a question paper he had set for the BCom semester examination at Newman College.