Kochi: A special court here Thursday found 13 accused persons guilty in the sensational ‘hand-chopping’ case involving college professor T J Joseph.
Of the 31 people who underwent trial, the NIA court here exonerated 18 persons of all the charges.
The quantum of punishment will be announced on May 5.
The court had examined over 300 prosecution witnesses, four defence witnesses, over 950 prosecution documents, nearly 30 defence documents and 227 material objects in the case during its trial which started in July 2013.
A total of 37 people, including six persons who are absconding, were named in the charge sheet in the case.
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons hatched a conspiracy to attack Thodupuzha Newman College Professor Joseph.
He was attacked and his right hand chopped off, allegedly by activists of Popular Front of India on July 5, 2010, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments of a community through a question paper he set for his students.
A magistrate court in Idukki had exonerated Joseph of the charge of hurting religious sentiments.
(Agencies)
