Kochi, March 17 – In a major setback ahead of the assembly elections, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday rejected a plea by former MLA Antony Raju from Thiruvananthapuram Central, seeking to stay his conviction in a case involving tampering with court evidence.
The ruling effectively prevents the former minister from contesting the elections, triggering political ripples in the state capital.
He ceased to be a legislator on January 4, after the Nedumangad Magistrate Court sentenced him to three years' imprisonment in the case, and on Tuesday, he received another blow when the High Court refused to stay the order.
Raju is the sole legislator of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress and was the State Transport Minister until December 2024, after making way for another ally as part of the agreement in the ruling Left Democratic Front.
A bench led by Justice Nirmaljit Kaur dismissed the plea, meaning the disqualification under the Representation of the People Act will continue.
Without a stay on conviction, Antony Raju cannot file his nomination, closing the last available legal window for his participation in the election.
However, the last date for filing nominations is March 23, leaving him a few more days, as he can now approach either the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court or the Supreme Court to obtain a stay.
The case, often referred to as the controversial "underwear case," dates back to 1990.
Antony Raju, then a junior lawyer, was accused of tampering with material evidence, an undergarment in a narcotics case, to help the accused.
Subsequent scientific examinations established that the evidence had been altered after being taken from the court.
After years of legal proceedings across multiple levels, the trial court conviction has now come back to haunt him at a crucial political juncture.
Notably, this is the second time the case has derailed his electoral prospects.
Years earlier, he was denied a ticket following strong objections from veteran Left leader V.S. Achuthanandan, who had raised moral concerns.
Those objections now stand reinforced by the court's ruling.
The verdict has also placed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in a tight spot.
Antony Raju was the alliance's expected candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram Central constituency.
With his sudden exit, the LDF is yet to identify a replacement, adding to last-minute uncertainty.
The constituency is already a keenly watched battleground, with both the Congress-led UDF and the Bharatiya Janata Party eyeing gains.
Antony Raju's absence is likely to alter electoral calculations, posing a fresh challenge for the LDF in retaining the seat.