Wayanad, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Anto Augustine, Managing Director of Reporter Broadcasting Corporation, was on Saturday handed over to the Kerala Excise Department for 24 hours of custodial interrogation in connection with a liquor seizure case.
A court in Wayanad allowed the Excise Department to take Augustine into custody for further questioning, a day after the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Sulthan Bathery rejected his bail plea. The Kerala High Court had also declined to grant him interim bail on Friday and listed the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.
Augustine was arrested in the early hours of Thursday from the Reporter TV office in Kalamassery after Excise officials seized liquor allegedly stored at his ancestral house in Vazhavatta, Wayanad.
According to the Excise Department, around 67 litres of liquor and wine were recovered during a search conducted on Wednesday. Officials said the seized stock included foreign-made liquor, wine and other alcoholic beverages allegedly not authorised for sale in India.
A case has been registered under Sections 55(a), 55(i) and 58 of the Kerala Abkari Act, which deal with alleged illegal possession and handling of liquor.
An Excise team led by Assistant Commissioner Baiju reached the Reporter TV office around 2.30 a.m. on Thursday and arrested Augustine. He was subsequently taken to Wayanad and produced before the Bathery court, which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.
The arrest came shortly after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged financial irregularities connected with the proposed visit of football star Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to Kerala conducted searches at the offices of Reporter Broadcasting Corporation and premises associated with Augustine and his brothers in Kochi and Wayanad.
The SIT seized documents and other records during the searches, including material related to Kaloor Stadium.
Authorities have clarified that the police investigation into the proposed football event is separate from the Excise case. A separate tax-related inquiry has also raised questions over alleged financial irregularities involving Reporter Broadcasting Corporation.
Augustine has denied the liquor-related allegations. He has also maintained that he cooperated with the SIT investigation and provided investigators with all documents sought by them.
After the 24-hour custodial interrogation, Augustine is expected to be produced before the court again.
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