Kerala Transport Minister Thomas Chandy, also the leader of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress party, was involved in a decades-old case concerning a drug smuggling accusation that led to the acquittal of an Australian man.
Drug Smuggling Case Details
The case originated over 35 years ago, when Thomas Chandy was a young lawyer. Andrew Salvatore Cervelli, an Australian man, was arrested at the Thiruvananthapuram airport after being accused of smuggling 61.5 grams of charas, concealed in his underwear.
Chandy initially represented Cervelli before the trial court, which ultimately convicted and sentenced the Australian man to 10 years in prison.
High Court Appeal and Acquittal
The case took an unexpected turn when Cervelli appealed to the High Court. During the appeal process, it was discovered that the underwear in which the drugs were allegedly hidden was too small to fit Cervelli.
This finding led to Cervelli’s acquittal from the case.
Chandy is currently part of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition in Kerala and served as the state’s Transport Minister until a cabinet reshuffle in 2023.
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