New Delhi | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet against a man for harbouring a key accused in the Kerala professor's palm chopping case.

Shafeer C, a cadre of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), was named in a chargesheet filed by the probe agency before a court in Kochi, Kerala, according to an official statement.

NIA investigations have revealed that Shafeer had knowingly given shelter to Savad, the prime assailant of Prof T J Joseph, and also arranged false identity card for the key accused, it said.

The 2010 case pertains to the attempted murder of Professor Joseph, a former head of the Malayalam department of Newman College, Thodupuzha, Idukki district.

A chargesheet was filed against Savad in the case in 2011.

The professor was attacked by a group of PFI workers at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district for allegedly ridiculing Prophet Mohammed in a Malayalam question paper prepared for the internal examination of Bachelor of Commerce, said the statement issued by the NIA.

The attackers severed Joseph's hand and hurled a bomb to spread terror among the public before fleeing the scene of the crime, it said.

A total of 19 persons, all identified as leaders or activists/ cadres of PFI, have so far been convicted in the case.