The trial of the criminal case involving the Transport Minister Antony Raju, which had been pending for nearly 16 years may be completed in three months.
The Judicial First Class Magistrate-1, Nedumangad, who has listed the case for August 4, is understood to have decided to complete the trial in three months by conducting the day-to-day examination of witnesses.
The case had recently hit the headlines after reports that it had been pending in the trial courts of Thiruvananthapuram and Nedumangad since 2006.
Incidentally, legal sources hinted that the trial was scheduled and summons were issued to the leading witnesses in the case last month.
Mr. Raju, the second accused and Jose, the first accused, who was the clerk of the property section of the Thiruvananthapuram court, have been charged with the offences of Conspiracy Section 120 (B), Cheating (Sec. 420), dishonestly inducing delivery of property causing disappearance of evidence of offence (Sec 201), threat of injury to induce person to refrain from applying for protection to public servant (Sec 190) and public servant disobeying direction of law with the intent to save a person from punishment or property from forfeiture (Sec 217) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case
The prosecution case is that Mr. Raju and Mr. Jose conspired together and replaced an undergarment, a material object in a drug trafficking case booked by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act involving an Australian citizen Andrew Salvatore.
The Australian, who was sentenced by a trial court to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and fine of ₹1 lakh for possessing two packets containing charas in the pockets of his undergarment, was later acquitted by the Kerala High Court.
Later, the investigation officer in the case filed a petition stating that the undergarment worn by the Australian was replaced in the trial court and the accused obtained the acquittal. The High Court later ordered the registering of the criminal case against Mr. Raju and Mr. Jose.
The Magistrate of the Nedumangad court, who took charge on May 18, 2022, is understood to have reported that 29 people have been arrayed as witnesses in the final report.
