ANTONY RAJU VERDICT: TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

FORMER Kerala minister Antony Raju, a member of the ruling LDE, now stands disqualified as a legislator and faces the prospect of being banned from contesting elections for years.

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This follows his conviction for tampering with evidence in a 35-year-old narcotics case in which he was on the legal team defending the accused. He was sentenced to three years in jail, which means he is disqualified as an MLA under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act. This is a moral blow that the CPI(M)-led LDE, reeling under the impact of the shocking setback in the recent local body elections, will have to contend with as it prepares for the assembly elections due in a couple of months.