Kerala HC orders notice on plea to transfer hands-chopping case to NIA

Kerala HC orders notice on plea to transfer hands-chopping case to NIA
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala High Court on Thursday ordered issuance of notice on a petition seeking transfer of the case of a lecturer whose hand was chopped off over alleged blasphemy to the National Investigation Agency.
The development comes at a time the state police has been accused of going slow with the investigations.

The incident which happened on July 4, 2010 had generated international outrage as the act was said to avenge the setting of a question paper with allegedly blasphemous contents by lecturer T J Joseph. Joseph was the head of the department of Malayalam in the New Man college, Thodupuzha.

The assailants, Muslim fundamentalists, waylaid him while he was on his way back home after a Sunday mass at the local church. They chopped off his right palm and threw it away. However it was recovered and sutured back.
Investigation led to the Popular Front of India, whose activists were said to be behind the conspiracy. The investigation was handed over to a special team constituted by the state police.
Of more than 50 accused in the case, the police have been able to apprehend only 29. Others including the main accused are absconding and some of them are even believed to have fled to the Gulf which is believed to be a safe hide out for anti-India elements.
Initially there was much enthusiasm and raids on suspicions hideouts yielded anti-national literature and Taliban training CD's showing jehadis practicing cold blooded acts on poor animals.
But as it led to the masterminds, the probe suddenly went cold with the result that police are yet to even file a chargesheet 180 days after they made their first arrest. This in turn ensured that two of the accused got bail. The rest will soon follow suit. One of the accused men, a dentist, even contested the Panchayat elections and won.
In the meanwhile, the college which is run by the Catholic church decided to expel Joseph from its rolls for alleged indiscipline and hurting religious sentiments. Despite protests, the college has remained unfazed and refused to admit him back.