Apex court restores trial against Kerala ex-minister

The Supreme Court on Wednesday restored criminal proceedings against former Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju who allegedly tampered with evidence in a 1990 drug seizure case.

“The accused shall appear before the trial court on December 20, 2024, or on the next working day of court concerned,” a Bench of Justices CT Ravikumar and Sanjay Karol said, directing the trial court to conclude the proceedings within a year.

It can’t be said that the high court order allowing fresh proceedings against Raju was bad in law, the Bench said. Raju, a leader of Janadhipathya Kerala Congress and an ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), had allegedly tampered with evidence in a drug seizure case while representing the accused, an Australian citizen, as a lawyer.

The Australian man was arrested from the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram on charges of carrying hashish and the prosecution had produced an innerwear as part of the evidence against him saying the contraband was smuggled in that. He was sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment. However, the high court acquitted him in 1993 after his counsel proved that the innerwear was too small for him.

The probe revealed that Raju, who represented the accused, had received the underwear from the court and returned it four months later before the accused moved the high court. A district court had ordered a registration of a case against Raju and a court clerk for tampering with evidence.