In a significant development on Tuesday, February 17, the Thiruvananthapuram District Sessions Court upheld the conviction of former Kerala Minister Antony Raju in a sensational evidence tampering case. The case dates back to a drug seizure at Thiruvananthapuram airport involving an Australian national.
Originally sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 by the Nedumangad First Class Magistrate Court last month, Raju had challenged the verdict, arguing that it was legally unsustainable. However, the Sessions Court affirmed the lower court’s judgment, refusing to interfere with the finding of guilt.
Although the sentence of imprisonment and fine has been temporarily suspended pending a detailed hearing of the appeal, the disqualification arising from the guilty verdict will continue. The conviction, which led to Raju losing his Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) position, comes after he served as Transport Minister from 2021 till 2023 in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led ruling Left government.
According to prosecution, Raju, then a practising lawyer, conspired with a court clerk to tamper with a seized undergarment that formed crucial material evidence in the case. The garment was allegedly removed from court custody, altered and replaced, enabling the accused initially sentenced to ten years to later secure an acquittal from the High Court after the defence successfully argued that the undergarment did not belong to him.
Raju was convicted under IPC Sections relating to criminal conspiracy, destruction and fabrication of evidence, breach of trust, and common intention. The case has been a significant development in Kerala’s legal sphere, underscoring the gravity of evidence tampering and its consequences for public officials.
