Kochi, The Managing Director of a private Malayalam news channel was arrested by Excise officials from Kalamassery here in the wee hours of Thursday after liquor above the permissible limit was recovered during a police search at his ancestral house in Wayanad, Excise officials said.
“Home Minister won’t interfere in any police investigation. Let the investigation go on.
The Excise department registered a case against Anto Augustine based on the police report after they recovered liquor above the permissible limit during the search, they said. He was arrested and later shifted to Wayanad, Excise officials said. 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. “If anyone did anything illegal, there will be action from the part of the police,” he said.
The Special Investigation Team on Wednesday searched the office and residences of Augustine and his two brothers in Kochi and Wayanad as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in a failed football event featuring Argentina’s star player Lionel Messi sponsored by Reporter Broadcasting Company.
