KOCHI: A special court here will complete the proceedings to frame charges against the main accused in the 2010 hand beheading case involving Professor TJ Joseph, in which PFI activists are accused of attacking him in Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special NIA Court Judge BK Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafir C and decided to go ahead with charges against the duo.
A group beheaded the right hand of Joseph, a professor at Thodupuzha Newman College, in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, which was later taken over by the National Investigation Agency, resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly cut off Joseph’s palm, was arrested at Baram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he was allegedly hiding under the alias Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafir, who had allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Safad in Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard from the accused’s lawyer and the NIA prosecutor about filing charges against the duo.
The court said: “Upon reviewing the documents and evidence in the case and upon listening to the accused’s counsel and the public prosecutor, I believe that there are grounds to assume that the first accused has committed crimes punishable under the provisions of the Islamic Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Law and the Unlawful Activities Law, and that the second accused has committed crimes punishable under the Islamic Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Law, and there are materials to fabricate charges under these provisions against the accused.”
The court ordered Safad and Shafir, who is out on bail, to appear before it on May 15 to record his pleas as part of the arraignment process.
After charges are filed, the court will set a trial date for the case.
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