Kerala: Accused in hand-chopping case wins poll

Contesting from prison, an accused in the sensational case of chopping off the hand of Thodupuzha Newman college lecturer T J Joseph has won from a block panchayat division in Ernakulam in the civic body elections.

Anas won from the Vanchinad division of Vazhakkulam block in Ernakulam district on a ticket of the Socialist Democratic Party of India, the political arm of the Popular Front of India, whose activists were allegedly behind the attack on Joseph. The professor was accused of preparing a question paper containing blasphemous references to Prophet Mohammed.

Anas, now in judicial custody and lodged in the Viyyur central jail in connection with the case, defeated the nearest United Democratic Front candidate by a margin of more than thousand votes, while the Left Democratic Front candidate came third.

The accused, who contested the seat after getting permission from the local court, could neither campaign for the poll nor cast his vote. Anas is the 47th accused in the case.