Kasaragod: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached here on Friday for further investigation into the palm-chopping case of 2010. The development comes days after NIA arrested the main accused Savad, who had been absconding for 13 years. 

The NIA team from the Kochi unit reached Manjeshwar here by afternoon. Reports suggest NIA eyes to quiz Savad’s wife, who hails from the district. NIA is also likely to examine whether Savad had any links with banned outfits.

Meanwhile, the NIA has been making moves without any intimation to the crime branch or top police officials. However, NIA officials intimated the matter to the police on their arrival. 

Savad is the main accused in the professor palm-chopping case of 2010 wherein the academician was attacked in front of his family for alleged blasphemy.

Savad, a PFI sympathizer who was on the run for the last 13 years and carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh, was arrested from Mattannur in Kannur.

The accused had cut off the palm of TJ Joseph for allegedly ridiculing Prophet Mohammed in a Malayalam question paper prepared for the internal examination of B. Com students at Newman College, Thodupuzha.

Nineteen accused have so far been convicted for various offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case.

Of them, three have been convicted for life and 10 others sent to eight years imprisonment.

The accused in the case were either leaders, activists, or members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). They were actively involved in the criminal conspiracy relating to the lethal attack on Professor Joseph at Muvattupuzha.

The accused had carried out the barbaric daylight attack on the professor in the presence of his family members on July 4, 2010, when he was returning from church after the Sunday morning mass. They had also hurled a bomb to spread terror among the people before escaping from the spot. 

With PTI inputs