India, May 4 -- A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving Professor TJ Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.

Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge PK Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo. A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.

The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.

The first accused, Savad, who alle...