‘Never drank alcohol’: Keralam channel MD arrested day after newsroom raid - The Indian Express

A day after Kerala Police raided the premises of Reporter TV in connection with an alleged cheating case linked to an unsuccessful bid to bring football legend Lionel Messi to the state, the excise department on Thursday arrested the channel’s managing editor and director, Anto Augustine, on charges related to the illegal possession of liquor.

While conducting a search at Augustine’s house in Wayanad, the special investigation team (SIT) allegedly found 67 litres of illegal Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and foreign-made foreign liquor stock. The excise department then stepped in, leading to the registration of a case under the Kerala Abkari Act.

In Keralam, a person is permitted to possess a maximum of three litres of IMFL. Excise sources said Augustine is facing non-bailable offences and, if convicted, could face imprisonment of up to 10 years under these sections.

Augustine, who was taken into custody from Reporter TV’s head office in Kochi early Thursday morning, denied the charges. “I had handed over all documents related to Messi. Now, the excise has come up with a case saying they had found a stock of liquor in my house. I have never consumed alcohol in my life. I will cooperate with the probe,” Augustine said. He will be produced before a court in Wayanad.

The police raid on the premises of Reporter TV and its managing director had sparked a political storm in Keralam, with Opposition CPI(M) alleging that the action was “reminiscent of Emergency days”. Chief Minister V D Satheesan defended the action, asserting that the previous Left government under Pinarayi Vijayan had undertaken similar measures against the media.

During the previous LDF regime, the state sports department had initiated steps to bring the Argentina football team led by Messi to Keralam for an international match. Reporter TV was the sponsor of the event, with the government serving as a facilitator. The event was scheduled to be held towards the end of 2025. The state government had also handed over the international stadium in Kochi to Reporter TV and Reporter Broadcasting Company, which runs the TV channel, for holding the event, which did not take place.

After the Congress came to office in May, the sports department ordered a probe and allegedly found illegal financial transactions running to Rs 126 crore and GST payment defaults. It was allegedly also found that the RBC had forged several documents in this regard.

The FIR was registered on information from the SIT under charges of cheating by personation, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, and criminal conspiracy. Apart from the channel’s newsroom and RBC’s office in the building, the police raided the houses of Anto and his brothers, Roji and Josekutty, in Kochi and Wayanad.

The FIR alleged that Augustine and others entered into a criminal conspiracy before December 2024 and fabricated purported agreements with Argentina’s football association, leading to the state government being cheated. The suspects made unlawful gains from the deal and induced the state government to hand over the international stadium in Kochi to the channel for the event, which did not take place, the FIR alleged.

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