The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, August 22, arrested 33-year-old Safeer C from Kannur for allegedly harboring Savad, the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case of Professor TJ Joseph. Safeer, an active member of the Popular Front of India (PFI) with a history of involvement in multiple criminal activities, was apprehended at the Thalassery court premises and later shifted to Kochi on Friday, August 23. The NIA revealed that Safeer had been actively providing refuge to Savad after the latter went into hiding following the July 2010 attack on Professor Joseph in Muvattupuzha.
Safeer’s arrest followed a warrant issued due to his prolonged absence from the murder trial at the Thalassery court. Acting on a tip-off, the NIA set up a team to apprehend him as he appeared in court. According to the agency, Safeer not only sheltered Savad but also facilitated his concealment by securing fake identity cards and providing him with temporary hideouts in various parts of Kannur. Savad, who was responsible for severing the professor’s hand, was eventually arrested in Mattanur in January 2024 after residing in different locations while working as a carpenter.
Safeer himself is implicated in five other cases, including one related to the murder, along with additional charges connected to the activities of the PFI in Kannur and nearby areas. The 2010 attack on Professor TJ Joseph was motivated by the alleged mocking of Prophet Mohammed in a Malayalam question paper for an internal BCom exam at Newman College in Thodupuzha, Idukki. So far, nineteen individuals have been convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P) Act).
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