By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: The Kerala High Court yesterday accepted a Public Interest Litigation seeking to hand over the hand-chopping case to the National Investigation Agency. The PIL also seeks a ban on the Popular Front of India and the Social Democratic Party of India. The plea was submitted by Gireesh Babu, native of Kalamassery in Ernakulam.
The PIL also seeks to find out the financial source of the organizations and to seal off the publications run by them. The court has reportedly decided to send notice to the central and state governments, DGP, NIA Director, and the organizations PFI and SDPI based on the plea. The division bench comprising of Chief Justice J Chelameswar and Justice Thomas P Joseph will consider the plea in the first week of February.
The Kerala government had earlier explained at the court that the hand-chopping case needed not be handed over to the NIA and that the state police was doing a good investigation. The NIA also had earlier informed the High Court that it was not taking up the case as the agency investigated only terror cases. However, the UAPA was charged on the accused in the case afterwards. Then the agency had asked the legal advice of the Assistant Solicitor General Adv TPM Ibrahim Khan on the matter in October.
The hand-chopping incident took place on July 4, 2010. A group of men attacked Prof TJ Joseph, lecturer in Newman College in Thodupuzha, and chopped his right palm. Mr Joseph was accused in a blasphemy case in which he allegedly prepared a question paper with derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammed. He was arrested by the police and was on bail when the attack took place. Some alleged members of the PFI were arrested in connection with the attack. Recently, some of the accused were released on bail, including Prof Anas who had won in the Vazhakkulam Block Panchayat in the local body polls and Dr Raneef whose bail was upheld by the Supreme Court.