Kerala court denies bail to Malayalam TV channel MD

A court in Sultan Bathery here on Friday dismissed the bail petition of Anto Augustine, Managing Director of a Malayalam news television channel, in a case registered after liquor above the permissible limit was seized from his ancestral house here. Sultan Bathery Judicial First-Class Magistrate Adheena Biju dismissed the bail plea in the case registered by the Excise Department under the Abkari Act.

Augustine, Managing Director of Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC), was arrested on Thursday after a Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to probe alleged irregularities in the failed football event sponsored by the company, found liquor bottles at his ancestral house.

The SIT referred the seizure to the Excise Department, which registered a case and arrested Augustine on Thursday.

Augustine was remanded in judicial custody till September 30 and shifted to Wayanad district jail in Mananthavady.

The court had heard his bail plea on Thursday.

While Augustine claimed he was unaware of the liquor bottles, the Excise Department opposed the bail plea, arguing that a detailed investigation was required to establish the source of the seized liquor.

The court on Friday dismissed the bail petition.

It also directed that Augustine be produced before it on Saturday after the Excise Department approached the court seeking his custody.