Kochi, Thursday, August 05, 2010: The Ernakulam Principal sessions Court today denied bail for the four accused in the hand chopping case in Thodupuzha. The accused are Dr. Raneef, Abdul Lathif, Abdul Salaam and Kamruddin.

Many Popular Front activists had been arrested in connection with the case already, including Yunus, the main plotter of the attack.

Earlier report: -

An eight-member gang armed with swords and other sharp weapons had attacked Lecturer T.J Joseph, a Malayalam lecturer of Newman college. Joseph’s right hand was chopped off by the attackers. He also received other multiple injuries.

Joseph was admitted in the Ernakulam specialist hospital due the severe hand injury. A team of surgeons had stitched back the severed palm through 15-hour long surgery. T.J Joseph had been admitted to the intensive care unit. Joseph was returning after the Sunday Mass in the local church when he was attacked.

T.J Joseph, a Malayalam college tutor from Moovattupuzha, who landed in controversy over preparing a question paper with allegedly blasphemous references to Prophet Mohammed, literally faced the axe.