Kerala ex-minister gets jail for tampering evidence in old drug case

India Jan 09, 2026

Former Kerala Minister Antony Raju has been sentenced to three years in prison for tampering with evidence in a 1990 drug case.
Back then, Australian national Andrew Cervelli was caught at Thiruvananthapuram airport with hashish.
Raju, who later became an MLA, was found guilty of conspiring to alter key evidence—specifically, the underwear allegedly used to hide the drugs—to help Cervelli get acquitted.

What this means for Raju now

Raju and co-accused K.S. Jose were convicted under several criminal charges like conspiracy and forgery.
Because his sentence is over two years, Raju has lost his seat as an MLA and can't contest elections for six years.
He's out on bail while he appeals the verdict, but his political future is on hold for now.