<p>Former minister and MLA of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala Antony Raju has been disqualified to continue as MLA as he was sentenced in a criminal case on Saturday.</p><p>Kerala legislative secretary ordered the disqualification on Monday as per the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act and the relevant Supreme Court decisions. The disqualification will be in effect from January 3, the day of the judgment.</p><p>Raju was the lone MLA from regional party Janadhipathya Kerala Congress. He was representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency and also served as transport minister in the incumbent Pinarayi Vijayan government from 2021 to 2023.</p>.Former Kerala transport minister Antony Raju found guilty of evidence tampering in 1990 drug case.<p>Raju was sentenced by the Nedumangad judicial first class magistrate court to three years in a case pertaining to tampering with evidence in an over three decade old drug smuggling case involving an Australian national.</p><p>Raju, who is a lawyer by profession, tampered with the evidence in the drug peddling case involving an Australian national in 1990 April. The undergarment in which the drug was hidden was altered by Raju by taking it from the court with the help of a court employee, who is also convicted in the case. </p><p>Subsequently the Australian national was acquitted by the court as the undergarment, which was the key evidence, did not suit him. A subsequent police probe exposed evidence tampering. But the probe prolonged for years allegedly due to undue influences on the police.</p>
<p>Former minister and MLA of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala Antony Raju has been disqualified to continue as MLA as he was sentenced in a criminal case on Saturday.</p><p>Kerala legislative secretary ordered the disqualification on Monday as per the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act and the relevant Supreme Court decisions. The disqualification will be in effect from January 3, the day of the judgment.</p><p>Raju was the lone MLA from regional party Janadhipathya Kerala Congress. He was representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency and also served as transport minister in the incumbent Pinarayi Vijayan government from 2021 to 2023.</p>.Former Kerala transport minister Antony Raju found guilty of evidence tampering in 1990 drug case.<p>Raju was sentenced by the Nedumangad judicial first class magistrate court to three years in a case pertaining to tampering with evidence in an over three decade old drug smuggling case involving an Australian national.</p><p>Raju, who is a lawyer by profession, tampered with the evidence in the drug peddling case involving an Australian national in 1990 April. The undergarment in which the drug was hidden was altered by Raju by taking it from the court with the help of a court employee, who is also convicted in the case. </p><p>Subsequently the Australian national was acquitted by the court as the undergarment, which was the key evidence, did not suit him. A subsequent police probe exposed evidence tampering. But the probe prolonged for years allegedly due to undue influences on the police.</p>