Islamic court ordered chopping of prof's palm

It was a Taliban-model court Darul Khada (God's abode or God's court) which ordered the chopping off the palm of Professor T D Joseph, the Malayalam professor of Newman's College, Thodupuzha, recently.

The shocking revelation had come during the interrogation of Popular Front activist Ashraf, who is the first accused in the case. Joseph was accused of preparing an internal question paper for second year B Com students of the college, which outraged the Muslim community, who found it defamatory to Prophet Mohammed.

A group of eight persons, allegedly members of the Popular Front of India, had waylaid Joseph and chopped off his right palm, while he was returning from his Sunday mass at the local Nirmala church in Muvattupuzha, along with his mother and sister.

Sources in the state police told rediff.com that Ashraf had spilled the beans that the Islamic court, which was functioning in Kerala under the auspicious of the Popular Front, had given the sentence to chop off the right hand of Prof Joseph, for 'blasphemy to Prophet Mohammed.'

Police sources also informed that Eaasa Moulavi was the Kerala coordinator of the Darul Khada, and this particular case was decided by its branch in Eearattupettah, in Kottayam district, which is very near to Muvattupuzha, the site of the incident.

Those arrested have also confirmed to the police that the Popular Front is interfering in several family disputes involving Muslim families in the state, and trying to persuade them to come to Darul Khuda, and not to other courts, to settle their disputes.

The state police have appraised the central intelligence agencies about these developments.