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Kerala MLA Antony Raju Convicted of Evidence Tampering in 1990 Drug Case

The verdict follows the Supreme Court’s 2024 order reviving the long-pending prosecution.

Overview

  • The Nedumangad Judicial First Class Magistrate in Thiruvananthapuram found the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress legislator guilty on Saturday.
  • The case traces back to a 1990 seizure of 61.5 grams of hashish from an Australian passenger at Thiruvananthapuram airport.
  • Prosecutors said Raju, then a junior lawyer for the accused, conspired with a court official to alter underwear kept as material evidence.
  • A later Kerala High Court acquittal of the passenger turned on the finding that the innerwear presented in court was too small to fit him.
  • The prosecution was restored after the Supreme Court in November 2024 set aside a Kerala High Court order quashing the case and directed the trial be completed within a year.