A court in Kerala has sentenced former state transport minister and sitting MLA Antony Raju to three years of rigorous imprisonment for his involvement in tampering with evidence in a high-profile 1990 drug seizure case. The verdict, delivered on Saturday, has immediate and severe political consequences for the legislator.
Court Delivers Verdict After Decades-Long Legal Battle
The First Class Judicial Magistrate Court in Nedumangad found Antony Raju, a leader of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress and a constituent of the ruling LDF, guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code. The charges included criminal conspiracy, causing disappearance of evidence, giving false evidence, and forgery. The court sentenced him to varying prison terms for each charge, with the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in a total of three years' imprisonment.
In addition to Raju, the court also convicted K S Jose, a former court clerk from Thiruvananthapuram, in the same case. Jose received a one-year imprisonment term under charges of criminal breach of trust by a public servant, among others. The court imposed fines of Rs 10,000 on Raju and Rs 15,000 on Jose.
Political Fallout and Disqualification
The conviction carries significant political ramifications. Under the Representation of the People Act, the sentence necessitates Raju's immediate disqualification as the MLA representing the Thiruvananthapuram assembly constituency. The assembly secretariat is expected to issue a formal directive after seeking legal opinion. Furthermore, this conviction disqualifies him from contesting the 2026 Kerala assembly elections.
Despite the conviction, the court granted bail to both accused, allowing them one month to file appeals against the verdict in a higher court. Public Prosecutor P P Manmohan stated that the court had awarded the maximum possible punishment to the former minister.
The 1990 Drug Case and Evidence Tampering
The case has its origins in April 4, 1990, when Australian national Andrew Salvatore Cervelli was arrested at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. He was allegedly found with two packets of hashish concealed in his underwear. While a sessions court initially sentenced Cervelli to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, the Kerala High Court acquitted him in 1994. The acquittal was based on a defense argument that the underwear presented as evidence was too small to fit the accused.
Subsequently, the investigating officer in the original case, K K Jayamohan, reported suspected evidence tampering. Investigations by the High Court vigilance wing and later the police revealed an alleged conspiracy. According to the prosecution, Antony Raju, who was a junior lawyer at the time, conspired with court clerk K S Jose to alter the underwear that was a key material evidence. It was alleged that Raju obtained custody of the item under the pretext of returning the accused's personal belongings, altered it, and then returned it to the court.
The legal journey of this case was marred by prolonged delays. In a significant turn, the Supreme Court in November 2024 set aside a Kerala High Court order that had quashed the proceedings. The apex court restored the trial, emphasizing that interference with judicial processes strikes at the foundation of justice, and directed its completion within one year.
Reacting to the verdict, investigating officer K K Jayamohan welcomed the court's decision, stating that for him, the fact of conviction was more important than the length of the sentence. The case highlights a rare instance of a serving legislator being convicted for obstructing justice in a narcotics case that spanned over three decades.
