The Kerala High Court has granted bail and suspended the life imprisonment sentence of MK Nasar, one of the key accused in the 2010 attack on Professor TJ Joseph, noting that the nine years he had spent in jail could justify suspending a convict’s sentence.
The case, which gained national attention, involved members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) who severed the professor's hand, accusing him of blasphemy.
The attack took place on July 4, 2010, when Professor Joseph, a faculty member at Newman College in Thodupuzha, was returning from church with his family. The assailants alleged that Joseph had insulted Prophet Mohammed in a question paper he had prepared.
In reviewing Nasar’s appeal against the trial court's conviction, the High Court took into account his nine years of imprisonment, noting that delays in resolving appeals could justify suspending a convict’s sentence. The court also highlighted that other accused in the case had received lesser sentences and had already been released after serving their terms.
The division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and PV Balakrishnan considered Nasar’s long period of incarceration as well as the fact that other individuals facing similar charges had received shorter sentences. They pointed out that these factors were significant in their decision to suspend the sentence.
However, the court imposed strict conditions on Nasar’s bail. He is required to provide a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, refrain from leaving the country without permission, avoid interfering with the trial or witnesses, and refrain from committing any similar offences while on bail.
Nasar, identified as the main conspirator in the attack, had been on the run for a long time before his arrest. In July 2023, a special NIA court convicted six individuals and acquitted five others, bringing the total number of convictions in the case to 19, with sentences varying from life imprisonment to eight years of rigorous imprisonment.