Kochi, Mar 11 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for providing information on the whereabouts of one Sawad -- the prime accused in the 2010 Kerala hand chopping case, an official said on Saturday.

Sawad is a resident of Ernakulam district in Kerala.

The case pertains to the chopping of a professor, T.J. Joseph's right hand in July 2010 by the activists of the now-banned organisation, Popular Front of India. Joseph was attacked while he was on his way to home from Church along with his mother and sister.

The attackers told him that he was being punished for the alleged sacrilegious undertone of one of the questions he had framed during an exam at the college where he was teaching.

The case was later investigated by the NIA.

A special NIA court in 2015 convicted 13 people owing allegiance to the PFI.

However, the key accused in the case, Sawad, continues to be on the run since then.