A private news channel’s Managing Director was arrested by excise officials
KOCHI: Managing director of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV, Anto Augustine, was arrested by Excise officials in the early hours of Thursday after liquor above the permissible limit was recovered during a search at his ancestral house in Wayanad, officials said.
He said Excise officials detained him around 2 am and informed him about the case only at around 4.30 am. “Home Minister won’t interfere in any police investigation.
The Excise department registered a case against Augustine based on a police report after liquor above the permissible limit was recovered during the search, officials said. The Excise case was registered under various non-bailable sections of the Abkari Act for possessing liquor in excess of the permissible quantity, officials said. He was arrested and later shifted to Wayanad, Excise officials said. Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the SIT had not done anything wrong as the searches were conducted after obtaining warrants. The law will take its course,” he said. He denied opposition allegations that there was an emergency-like situation in Keralam and said several mediapersons had been booked during the previous Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Let the investigation go on.