Reporter TV MD Anto Augustine Nabbed in Liquor‑Possession Probe

In a development that has set the media circles of Kerala abuzz, Anto Augustine – the 38‑year‑old managing director of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV – was taken into custody by Excise officials on the morning of September 17, 2026. The arrest took place at the channel’s office in Kalamassery, Ernakulam, just before dawn, around 5 a.m.

The backstory is a bit tangled. A special investigation team (SIT) that’s been probing alleged financial irregularities surrounding last year’s aborted attempt to bring Argentina’s national football side – and Lionel Messi – to Kochi for a high‑profile friendly match, swooped on Augustine’s ancestral house in Muttil South, Vythiri Taluk, Wayanad. During that raid, they reportedly uncovered 67 litres of liquor, well beyond what the state’s Abkari Act permits an individual to hold.

Armed with that find, Excise Circle Inspector Sharfudhin T. filed an official occurrence report, charging Augustine under Sections 55(a), 55(i) and 58 of the Kerala Abkari Act. The case was lodged before the Judicial First Class Magistrate’s Court at Sulthan Bathery, Wayanad.

When the Excise team, led by an Assistant Commissioner, arrived at the Reporter TV office, Augustine initially tried to resist. He asked to see the occurrence report, and when shown a digital copy he balked, insisting on a hard‑copy document. After a short delay, Perumbavoor Excise Circle Inspector Manoj Kumar presented the paper copy, and Augustine was finally taken into custody.

He will undergo a routine medical examination, after which he will be escorted to Wayanad and produced before the magistrate, as per the usual procedure. Sources say the authorities are keen to keep the process transparent, especially given the high‑profile nature of both the media house and the underlying fraud investigation.

Adding another layer to the drama, the case also touches on rumors surrounding the Kerala chief minister’s alleged second marriage – a claim that has been circulating in local political chatter. While the liquor‑possession charge is the immediate legal issue, the broader inquiry into financial misconduct tied to the Messi project remains ongoing.

The incident has sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with some questioning whether the police disrupted normal news operations at the channel’s office, while others view the arrest as a straightforward enforcement of the state’s liquor laws. Whatever the angle, the story is still unfolding, and the next court appearance will likely shed more light on how these separate threads intersect.