Reporter TV MD held for keeping 67 litres of liquor in Kerala

The Managing Director of a private Malayalam news channel was arrested by Excise officials from Kochi in the wee hours of Thursday after liquor above the permissible limit was recovered during a police search at his ancestral house in Wayanad, Excise officials said. The Excise department registered a case against Anto Augustine based on the police report after they recovered liquor above the permissible limit during the search, they said, adding that 67 litres of liquor was found at his home in Wayanad.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Wednesday searched the office and residences of Augustine and his two brothers in Kochi and Wayanad as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in a failed football event featuring Argentina’s star player Lionel Messi sponsored by Reporter Broadcasting Company. The Excise case was registered under various non-bailable sections of the Abkari Act for possessing liquor in excess of the permissible quantity, officials said. He was arrested and later shifted to Wayanad, Excise officials said.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the SIT had not done anything wrong as the searches were conducted after obtaining warrants.

“Home Minister won’t interfere in any police investigation. Let the investigation go on. The law will take its course,” he said. He denied opposition allegations that there was an emergency-like situation in Kerala and said several media persons had been booked during the previous Pinarayi Vijayan Government. “If anyone did anything illegal, there will be action from the part of the police,” he said.

Anto Augustine and his brothers were involved in so many controversies before entering into the media business. They acquired Reporter TV five years ago. Earlier, they were arrested for illegal tree felling in a forest in Wayanad. They were also involved in cheating people by launching a fake mobile phone company - Mango Phone. Anto was involved in several criminal cases before entering the media business and was declared a history sheeter by the local police station.