Former Kerala transport minister Antony Raju.
Credit: X@advantonyraju
Former minister and MLA of the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala Antony Raju has been sentenced to three years in a case pertaining to tampering with the evidence in an over three decade old drug smuggling case involving an Australian national.
Janadhipathya Kerala Congress leader Antony Raju, who is the MLA of Thiruvananthapuram constituency, was sentenced by the Nedumangad judicial first class magistrate court on Saturday. The MLA may face disqualification for six years. The court granted one month bail to him for filing an appeal.
Raju earlier served as transport minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan led government.
Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front launched a protest against the government over the issue.
The prosecution case is that Raju, who is a lawyer by profession, tampered with the evidence in the drug peddling case involving an Australian national in 1990 April.
The Australian national was held at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport after he tried to smuggle drugs by hiding in undergarment. Raju, who was then serving as junior lawyer with the Australian national's lawyer, was accused of taking the undergarment from the court with the help of a court staff, and reduced its size and kept it back. Even as the Australian national was accused by the lower court, he was later exonerated by upper court after his lawyers argued that the undergarment did not suit the accused.
The police later got information regarding the evidence tampering and filed a petition against Raju and court staff Jose who helped him. The case dragged on for years allegedly due to political influences.
Apart from Raju, the court staff Jose was also sentenced in the case. Both were sentenced for tampering with evidence and conspiracy.
Reacting to the verdict, Raju said that he was innocent and this case was an instance of innocent people being convicted.