Former Kerala Minister's Attempt to Contest Election Thwarted by Conviction

The Kerala High Court dismissed former Transport Minister Antony Raju's plea to suspend his conviction. Raju, convicted of evidence tampering in a 1990 drug case, sought to contest the upcoming Assembly polls. His disqualification under the Representation of the People Act remains effective, hindering his election bid.

In a decisive ruling, the Kerala High Court has rejected the appeal by former state Transport Minister Antony Raju to lift his conviction. This decision means Raju, a significant political figure in the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress, will be unable to participate in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

The conviction, which stems from a 1990 case of evidence tampering while Raju was acting as a lawyer for an Australian national involved in a drug case, resulted in a three-year imprisonment sentence. This judgement effectively disqualifies him from holding legislative office as per the Representation of the People Act.

Raju has consistently argued that the court's decision was flawed both factually and legally, claiming it was rendered unjustly after a 35-year delay and was meant to disqualify his candidacy. Despite his legal team's efforts to contest this outcome, the court maintained the original verdict.

(With inputs from agencies.)