More trouble for TV channel chief over documents on Keralam CM’s ‘second marriage’ - The Indian Express
The cyber wing of the Thiruvananthapuram city police on Wednesday registered a criminal case against Reporter TV Managing Director and Editor Anto Augustine and two unidentified persons over allegations that Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan had contracted a second marriage.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint from Congress spokesperson Raju P Nair, and was registered under sections 336(4) (forgery intended to damage reputation), 337 (forgery of public records, including marriage records), 61 and 92 (criminal conspiracy), 356(3) (making defamatory material), 340(2) (using a forged document as genuine), and 339 (possession of a forged public document with intent to use it as genuine) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to the FIR, Augustine stated at a public function a few days ago that two people had approached him claiming Satheesan had registered his second marriage in Byndoor, Karnataka, in 2012. The FIR said Augustine alleged that the two had handed him what they claimed was a “marriage certificate” and “the mandatory notice for registration of the marriage”, and that he still held the documents despite knowing they were forged “to publicly humiliate the chief minister of the state”.
This comes hours after the Kerala Police’s special investigation team raided five premises — including the office of Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC), which operates Reporter TV — in connection with a cheating case over the company’s failure to bring the Argentina football team, led by its former captain Lionel Messi, to Kochi for an international match last year. RBC was the sponsor of the proposed event.
On Tuesday, Kochi City Police registered an FIR against Reporter TV managing director Anto Augustine and RBC on charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating in connection with the alleged attempt to bring Messi to Kerala for the proposed match, which had generated much hype. After the Congress-led government came to office, the Sports Department examined RBC’s claim and allegedly found financial misappropriation and tax evasion under the guise of the event.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
