New Delhi: In a major blow to former Kerala Minister and ex-MLA Antony Raju, the Supreme Court of India on Monday refused to stay his conviction in the infamous 1990 evidence tampering case. The apex court dismissed his appeal to freeze the sentencing, effectively upholding his disqualification from legislative office and barring him from contesting the Assembly elections.

The bench also rejected Raju’s request to expunge critical remarks made against him by the Kerala High Court, which had previously noted the "serious, dishonest and unethical" nature of the allegations. A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma presided over the matter. In addition, the court declined to stay the proceedings or the sentence in the case.

Antony Raju had approached the apex court requesting the deletion of observations contained in paragraphs 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 of the High Court’s verdict. He contended that these remarks could prejudice his appeal and deny him the right to a fair trial.

However, the Supreme Court noted that paragraph 27 of the High Court judgement already provided sufficient clarification regarding these observations. The bench stated that these remarks would not influence the merits of the case during the appeal process. With this clarification, the court dismissed the petition.

Senior Advocate N Hariharan and Advocate K Rajeev represented Antony Raju, while Standing Counsel Nishe Rajen Shonker appeared on behalf of the State Government.

While the Supreme Court had earlier ordered a de novo (fresh) trial to ensure justice was not delayed further, today’s refusal to stay the conviction means Raju must face the legal and political consequences of the 2026 trial court verdict that sentenced him to three years of imprisonment.

The infamous case

The case, which dates back to 1990, involves allegations that Raju, then a junior lawyer, conspired to tamper with material evidence (a drug-tainted garment) to save an Australian national in a narcotics case.