Anto Augustine Remanded in Excise Custody for 24 Hours in Abkari Case

Kalpetta, 19 September 2026 – In a modest courtroom in Bathery, the magistrate heard the Excise department’s plea to keep Reporter Broadcasting Company managing director Anto Augustine in custody while it unravels an Abkari case.

The officials asked for four days, saying they needed time to trace the source of foreign‑made liquor and other contraband that had been seized. The magistrate, however, was not convinced that such a long hold was necessary and trimmed it down to a single 24‑hour period.

According to the prosecution, the seizure involved a sizable cache of illegal alcohol, and pin‑pointing its origin could help crack a wider network. They argued that a thorough interrogation of Augustine was essential.

Augustine’s defence team, meanwhile, stuck to their earlier line that the arrest criteria weren’t met. They pointed out that their client wasn’t present at the raid site – he was in Ernakulam at the time – and therefore should not have been taken into custody.

The court’s decision means Augustine will spend one day under Excise guard before being released on bail, pending further hearings. The matter is far from over; his interim bail plea is still pending, and other cases ranging from land encroachment to illegal logging hover over his head.

Legal observers note that this is just another chapter in a series of legal tussles involving the media entrepreneur, whose business interests have often landed him in the cross‑hairs of authorities.