KOCHI: The special NIA court here on Wednesday convicted six more persons - all members of banned Islamic outfit Popular Front of India - in the 2010 hand chopping case of college professor T J Joseph.

Their punishment will be pronounced at 3pm on Thursday.

Those convicted include 2nd accused Sajil, 3rd accused M K Nasar, 5th accused Najeeb, 9th accused M K Noushad, 11th accused P P Moideen Kunhu and 12th accused P M Ayoob.

Sajil, Nasar and Najeeb were found guilty of attempted murder, conspiracy and various other offences under the IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Explosives Substances Act (ESA).

Special judge Anil K Bhaskar found Noushad, Kunhu and Ayoob guilty of harbouring the offenders and intentional omission of information of offence known to them.

It dismissed all other charges raised against them, including those under the UAPA and ESA, as they were found involved in the conspiracy meetings only after the attack happened.The NIA submitted in the court that the crime committed by the accused was akin to Talibanism and they should be given the maximum punishment of life imprisonment while the accused pleaded for leniency.

The court, however, referring to the NIA report that some of the accused celebrated the suicide of Joseph's wife in 2014, observed that pain is equal for all.The court acquitted five of the accused - Azeez Odakkali, Muhammad Rafi, Subair T P, Shefeeq and Mansoor - of the charges for want of evidence.Court had convicted 13 persons earlierIt had begun the second phase of trial in the case on April 16, 2021.Assailants had chopped off the right palm of Joseph, then a professor with Thodupuzha New-man College, on July 4, 2010, alleging that he had ridiculed Prophet Mohammed in a question paper he set for BCom semester examination.

All of them were members of Popular Front of India, which was banned last year.Joseph was attacked when he was returning from a church in Muvattupuzha after the Sunday mass with his family.

A seven-member gang blocked his car near his residence in Muvattupuzha, pulled him out of it and chopped his palm besides attacking his family members.

The assailants reportedly told him that he had ridiculed Islam using his hand and he should not write any more with that hand.In the first phase of trial against 31 accused, the court had in 2015 convicted 13 persons.

Those who faced the second phase of trial were either arrested or have surrendered after the first trial began.

There were 51 accused in the case, of whom the NIA filed charges against 45.

First accused Savad, who chopped the teacher’s palm, is still at large.

The court examined 306 witnesses, 963 documents and 227 material objects in the case.