Hand-chopping case: Accused are victims like me, says Prof Joseph as he reacts to verdict

Kochi: Professor TJ Joseph, the former Head of the Malayalam Department of Thodupuzha Newman College, on Wednesday stated that he did not believe that punishing the accused can deliver justice for the victim. He made the remark following a special NIA court’s verdict convicting six persons in the sensational 2010 hand-chopping case in which he was the victim. 

“I can only repeat what I said when the verdict of the first phase of the trial case was pronounced in 2015. As a common citizen, I need to know what will be the conclusion of the case. I only have that much curiosity towards the issue. Hence, I don’t have any personal likes or dislikes over punishing or not punishing the accused,” Joseph said. 

He further added that the accused in the case have been made victims like him. “I understand that they attacked me in the name of a primitive belief. They are victims of the same beliefs just like me, who is a victim of a law of tribal nature. It’s high time that all humans become modern citizens by imbibing scientific temper and embracing humanity and brotherhood,” he noted. 

Meanwhile, the special NIA court convicted six persons, who are allegedly members of now banned radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), in Joseph’s hand-chopping case. Judge Anil K Bhaskar found them guilty of attempted murder, conspiracy, and various other offenses under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the second phase of the trial in the case.