THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a landmark verdict that has sent ripples through Kerala’s political landscape, the Nedumangad Judicial First Class Magistrate Court has found former Minister and sitting MLA Antony Raju guilty in the notorious evidence tampering case. The judgment brings a conclusion to a legal saga that spanned over three and a half decades.
3. The Conviction
The court held Antony Raju, along with the first accused K.S. Jose (a former court staff member), guilty under several grave sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The proven charges include:
- IPC 120B: Criminal Conspiracy.
- IPC 409: Criminal breach of trust by a public servant (a serious offense that can carry a sentence up to life imprisonment).
- IPC 193: Punishment for false evidence (fabrication of evidence).
- IPC 201: Causing disappearance of evidence of offense.
- IPC 34: Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
However, the court acquitted him of the charge under Section 420 (Cheating), stating that the prosecution failed to establish the specific grounds for that particular section.
