Reporter TV MD Anto Augustine arrested over excess liquor at Wayanad home
Excise action follows seizure of liquor above the permitted limit from his Wayanad home
The Kerala Excise Department arrested Reporter TV Managing Director Anto Augustine on Thursday in a case related to the alleged possession of liquor above the legally permitted limit.
Excise officials took Augustine into custody from the news channel’s office in Kochi early on September 17. He was taken to Aluva District Hospital for a medical examination before being produced before a court.
The action followed a search at his family home in Wayanad on Wednesday, during which officials found a quantity of liquor exceeding the permitted limit.
According to reports, the search resulted in the seizure of 43 litres of liquor and seven litres of wine.
The Excise Department booked Augustine under Sections 55(A), 55(I) and 58 of the Kerala Abkari Act, according to officials cited by local media.
The liquor was discovered during a Special Investigation Team (SIT) search at the Wayanad residence. The wider police investigation is linked to allegations surrounding a failed initiative involving Argentine football star Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team’s proposed visit to Kerala.
Augustine is expected to be produced before the Bathery Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, according to local reports.
The arrest relates specifically to the alleged possession of liquor beyond the permitted quantity. The separate SIT investigation is continuing.
Meanwhile, the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Crime Police registered another case on Wednesday against Anto Augustine and two unidentified men for allegedly defaming Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan and conspiring to spread false information about him.
