Supreme Court Revives Evidence Tampering Case Against Ex-Kerala Minister

The Supreme Court has reinstated criminal proceedings against former Kerala transport minister Antony Raju for allegedly tampering with evidence in a 1990 drug seizure case. The high court previously quashed the case on technical grounds but the top court ruled the proceedings should be concluded within a year.

The Supreme Court reinstated criminal proceedings against Antony Raju, former Kerala transport minister, for allegedly tampering with evidence in a 1990 drug case.

A bench of Justices CT Ravikumar and Sanjay Karol ruled that the high court's earlier decision to allow new proceedings wasn't erroneous. The top court directed the trial court to complete proceedings within a year, with Raju required to appear on December 20, 2024.

The initial case involved an Australian citizen arrested for smuggling hashish, for which Raju, as the accused's lawyer, allegedly manipulated evidence. The high court had quashed the case on technicalities, but stressed the seriousness of the allegations, urging a fair trial to preserve judicial integrity.

(With inputs from agencies.)