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What happened
A Kerala court sentenced Antony Raju, a former Transport Minister, to three years in jail for tampering with evidence in a drug seizure case from 1990. The court found him guilty of forging and planting material evidence related to the case. Despite being granted bail and time to appeal, his conviction will lead to disqualification as a Member of the Legislative Assembly under Indian law. This ends a legal battle spanning over three decades and affects his political career significantly.
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Key insights
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Disqualification from legislature: Under Indian law, a jail sentence of two years or more results in termination of legislative membership.
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Evidence tampering in drug case: Raju was accused of altering key evidence that led to a drug case accused's acquittal.
Takeaways
Antony Raju's conviction ends his tenure as MLA and highlights judicial processing delays in politically sensitive cases.