The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Thodupuzha, on Wednesday acquitted T.J. Joseph, former head of the Malayalam Department of Newman College, Thodupuzha, in connection with a question paper he had prepared for an internal exam of degree students.
The court accepted his plea that he was innocent and the question paper was prepared without any mala fide intention to hurt the religious sentiments of anyone. He said that the question paper was prepared based on a book written by P.T.Kunju Muhammed. The court on Wednesday had heard the arguments of prosecution and the counsel for Mr Joseph.
The controversy that led to a physical assault on him on July 5, 2010, by alleged SDPI activists blaming that he had intentionally insulted the Prophet. He was attacked by a group of people on a vehicle while going to the church along with his mother and sister. The group pulled him down and his right arm was chopped off. Eight persons were then arrested in connection with it while Mr Joseph underwent treatment for a long period.
The question paper was prepared for the internal exam of the second year B.com Malayalam students on March 25, 2010. The Mahatama Gandhi University had revoked the decision of the college management to suspend him and termed it as an "unintentional error" in the question paper.
