Kochi: The High Court quashed the FIR in the case against Transport Minister Antony Raju. The action of the court is by accepting the argument of Antony Raju that according to the procedures in the case, the police do not have the authority to file a case.
A bench headed by Justice Ziyad Rahman quashed the FIR citing technical reasons. Observing that the police had no jurisdiction to file a case in the incident, the court accepted Antony Raju’s contention that due process had not been fully followed. But considering the seriousness of the case, the court also suggested go ahead with the proceedings.
The complaint was that Antony Raju, who was a lawyer, manipulated to save an Australian citizen arrested in a drug case. A charge sheet was also filed in 2008 for the incident that took place in 1994. The allegation that arose after becoming a minister led to political controversies. The minister denied the allegations and approached the High Court.