KALPETTA: Reporter TV managing director Anto Augustine has been sent to Excise custody in connection with the seizure of 67 litres of liquor from his ancestral home at Vazhavatta in Karapuzha. The Bathery Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Saturday granted the Excise Department his custody for 24 hours for further interrogation and investigation.
Soon after being taken into custody, Anto was brought to his family residence, ‘Moonganani house’, at Vazhavatta, where Excise officials conducted an evidence-gathering exercise.
The procedure continued for nearly four hours, after which he was taken to the District Assistant Excise Commissioner’s office at Meenangadi for further interrogation.
The Excise Department had sought four days’ custody, stating that a detailed investigation was required to trace the source of the seized liquor, including how the accused obtained the foreign liquor, the route used to transport it into Kerala, and the individuals, middlemen and distribution networks involved.
The custody application said that if the investigation established that the liquor had entered Keralam through a particular airport, seaport or shipping route, the accused would need to be taken to those locations for on-site inspection to gather further evidence and identify the persons and establishments involved.
The prosecution also pointed to the seizure of 12 litres of illicit liquor from the house. However, the court granted custody only for 24 hours, from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday.
Northern Zone Excise Joint Commissioner Y Shibu told the media that the department could seek an extension if key procedures remained incomplete.
During the court proceedings, the defence reiterated its earlier contention that due procedures were not followed in Anto’s arrest. The defence argued that Anto was not present on the premises when the raid was conducted and was in Ernakulam at the time.
The defence also maintained that the building from which the liquor was seized had been sold on June 30, 2022, under SARFAESI proceedings and was no longer owned by Anto.
The Bathery Magistrate Court had earlier rejected Anto’s bail plea, relying on the building certificate issued by the Muttil grama panchayat.
Meanwhile, the High Court, which considered Anto’s bail plea on Friday, sought details from the government and adjourned the hearing to September 22.
Anto Augustine moved court seeking anticipatory bail in the case registered against him in his ‘second marriage’ remark against Chief Minister V D Satheesan.
The bail application was submitted before the Thiruvananthapuram District Court on Saturday. Even though the case was registered by the Thiruvananthapuram City Cyber Police based on a complaint filed by Congress member Raju P Nair with a zero-FIR, officials said that it had already been transferred to Kalamassery police station in Ernakulam, as the remark was made at a place coming under its jurisdiction.
The issue began on Wednesday, when police officers from the SIT raided Reporter TV office and the residence of Anto Augustine in connection with the Messi visit row. Following this, Anto made the controversial remark while responding to the media.
