Ex-Kerala min gets three years’ jail for evidence tampering
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 3: A court here on Saturday sentenced former Kerala transport minister Antony Raju and a court official to imprisonment for tampering with evidence in a 1990 drug seizure case. Raju, a serving MLA of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress and an LDF ally, was convicted by the Nedumangad Judicial First Class Magistrate Ruby Ismail in connection with tampering with evidence related to the seizure of 61.5 grams of hashish from an Australian national at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in 1990. The court also convicted K S Jose, a former clerk of a court in Thiruvananthapuram, in the case. Both were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 193 (giving false evidence), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 465 (forgery) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Raju was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment under Section 120B, three years under Section 201, three years under Section 193 and two years under Section 465. (PTI)
Five held for assaulting cop, tearing her uniform
Raigarh (Chhattisgarh), Jan 3: Five persons have been arrested for allegedly assaulting and ripping off the uniform of a woman police constable during an anti-mining protest in Libra village in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, officials said on Saturday. A demonstration by residents of 14 villages against a coal mining project turned violent in the Tamnar block on December 27, resulting in arson and stone pelting. A mob had surrounded a woman constable in a field and assaulted her. A video surfaced on social media on Thursday showing the constable lying on the ground and begging for mercy even as two men rip her clothes off and question her presence at the protest site. (PTI)
Gig workers’ union slams Zomato CEO’s claims
New Delhi, Jan 3: A fresh debate on Saturday erupted over working conditions in India’s fast-growing quick commerce sector after a Telangana-based gig workers’ union sharply criticised Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal’s defence of the company’s delivery model, calling the current conditions “not decent work.” The pushback came after Goyal posted a on X explaining how delivery partners earn on Zomato and Blinkit. He said that in 2025, delivery partners earned an average of Rs 102 per hour, excluding tips, marking a 10.9 per cent year-on-year increase. However, the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Association challenged these claims. In a post on X, the union said that once expenses like fuel, vehicle maintenance and other costs are deducted, actual earnings drop to around Rs 81 per hour. According to its calculation, a delivery partner working 10 hours a day for 26 days would earn roughly Rs 21,000 a month. The union also pointed out that delivery partners do not get paid leave, social security benefits or guaranteed accident insurance. (IANS)
