New Delhi: On Friday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested C Shafeer, the harbourer of the prime assailant in the Kerala Professor palm-chopping case. The NIA reports that Shafeer, who is affiliated with the banned group Popular Front of India (PFI), had sheltered Savad after he fled the scene of the attack on retired Professor T. J. Joseph in Muvattupuzha back in July 2010.

The investigation has shown that Shafeer was reportedly involved in other violent acts for the PFI. Savad, a hit team member of the PFI, was arrested earlier this year in Kannur after avoiding capture for over 13 years. He was charged in January 2021 in connection with this case, which is noted as one of the early instances in India showing the violent extremism ideology of the PFI.

So far, 19 people have been convicted in this case under various laws, including the IPC and the UA(P) Act. The attack involved brutally chopping off the professor's palm in response to allegations of disrespecting Prophet Mohammed in a college exam paper.

The PFI, now banned, has been known for targeting critics of Islam and figures from other religions. The group is accused of trying to enforce decisions made by their self-styled court, Darul Katha, as part of a plot to overthrow India's democratic government and establish an Islamic State by 2047.

Agencies