Evidence tampering case: Former Kerala Minister Antony Raju files appeal against conviction

Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala Minister Antony Raju has filed an appeal against his conviction in the notorious thondimuthal evidence tampering case. The appeal was submitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court and is scheduled for hearing on Saturday.

Raju was sentenced by the Nedumangad Judicial First Class Magistrate Court to three years’ imprisonment and a Rs 10,000 fine, following his conviction for destruction and fabrication of evidence. In the appeal, he has requested that the sentence be set aside.

Background of the case

Raju, who represented Thiruvananthapuram constituency as an LDF MLA, was disqualified under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 after his conviction took immediate effect on January 3, 2026, since the sentence exceeded two years. Legal experts note that the disqualification continues even if a higher court stays the sentence, unless the conviction itself is overturned.

The case concerns allegations that material evidence – specifically a piece of underwear produced as ‘thondimuthal’ – was tampered with to help Australian national Andrew Salvatore Cervelli evade conviction in a 1990 narcotics case. Raju was the second accused, while Jose, a court employee, was the first accused and also convicted.

At the time, Raju, then a young lawyer, appeared as Cervelli’s counsel. Although the trial court sentenced Cervelli to 10 years, the Kerala High Court acquitted him on appeal, citing that the underwear evidence was too small to fit the accused, casting doubts on the prosecution’s case. Years later, following information from the Australian National Central Bureau, the alleged tampering was investigated, ultimately leading to Raju’s conviction.