NIA arrests man in 2010 Kerala professor palm chopping case

The NIA on Friday arrested a cadre of proscribed organisation Popular Font of India (PFI) who had allegedly harboured a person accused in the infamous Kerala professor palm chopping case, an official said.

The agency alleged that C Shafeer had provided shelter to accused Savad after he absconded in the wake of the attack on retired Professor T J Joseph in Muvattupuzha in July 2010.

“NIA investigations have revealed that Shafeer was himself purportedly involved in several violent acts for PFI,” an agency Spokesperson said in a statement.

Savad was caught from Kannur in January this year by the agency after being on the lam for 13 years, the spokesperson said.

“A hit team member of PFI, he was chargesheeted in January 2021 in the case, which was one of the earliest such incidents in India reflecting the ideology of violent extremism being pursued by the organisation,” it said.

Nineteen people have so far been convicted for various offences under the IPC and UA(P) Act in the case, which was filed after a professor’s palm was chopped off for the alleged ridiculing of Prophet Mohammed in a Malayalam question paper prepared for the internal examination of BCom students at Newman College, Thodupuzha, Idukki district, Kerala.