Supreme Court restores criminal proceedings in evidence tampering case against Kerala MLA Antony Raju
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Nov 20, 2024, 11:31 AM ISTKerala MLA Antony Raju faces a setback in a 1990 evidence tampering case related to a drug seizure as Supreme Court restored criminal proceedings against him.
New Delhi: In a setback for former minister and MLA Antony Raju, the Supreme Court restored criminal proceedings in the evidence tampering case against him. The case involves allegations that Raju, then an advocate, tampered with key evidence in a drug case, leading to the acquittal of the accused. The court ruled that the accused should face trial, which must be completed within a year. Additionally, the court directed Antony Raju and the other accused to appear before the trial court on December 20. The verdict was delivered by a bench led by Justice C.T. Ravikumar.
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The case centers on an alleged incident in which Antony Raju, a junior lawyer at the time, tampered with crucial evidence—the underwear—in a drug case. This evidence was pivotal in a case involving an Australian citizen at Thiruvananthapuram airport. Following the High Court’s directive, an investigation into the tampering was initiated. Antony Raju filed a petition challenging the investigation order. In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, the government stated that Antony Raju, as the second accused, was guilty of the tampering.
The incident dates back to April 4, 1990, when the tampering allegedly occurred. Raju and court employee Jose are named as the first and second accused in the case.
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