Kannur: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has nabbed Savad Meerankutty, the first accused in the sensational Thodupuzha hand-chopping case, 13 years after the incident. NIA's Fugitive Tracking Team raided a house in Mattannur and arrested Savad Tuesday night. 

"He was picked up from a rent house at Beram, ward 10, in Mattannur," said former vice chairman of Mattannur Municipal Council  P Purushothaman. Savad was staying at the rented accomodation for the past five months and working as a carpenter. An NIA official confirmed the arrest and said Savad is now at its office in Kochi.

The NIA had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on Savad last year. Savad (38), of Asamannoor village in Ernakulam district, has been absconding ever since the incident, which happened on July 4, 2010.  

The right hand of T J Joseph, professor of Newman College in Thodupuzha in Idukki district, was chopped off by activists of now-outlawed Islamic outfit PFI on July 4, 2010. The attack took place while he was returning home with his family after attending a Sunday mass at a church in Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district.

The attackers, a group of seven people, pulled the professor out of the vehicle, assaulted him and then his right hand was chopped off by main accused Savad.

According to the police that initially probed the case, the accused wanted to kill Joseph for allgedly derogatory religious remarks in a question paper he set for BCom semester examination in Newman College.

A special NIA court had awarded a life sentence to three people in the case last year. Second accused Sajil (36), third accused M K Nasar (46) and fifth accused K A Najeeb (42) are the three people who are sentenced to life term. A three-year jail term has been awarded to the other three convicts- P P Moideen Kunju (60), M K Naushad (48) and P M Ayoob (48).

Special NIA court judge Anil K Bhaskar had found the six activists of banned radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) guilty of murder attempt, conspiracy and various other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the second phase of the trial in the case. Some of the accused were also held guilty of offences under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). It acquitted the five other accused in the case.