Kerala court reserves decision on Anto Augustine’s anticipatory bail pleas

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has reserved its decision on Reporter TV managing director Anto Augustine’s anticipatory bail applications in two cases. The court is considering one case involving alleged multi-crore fraud linked to a failed bid to bring Argentina’s football team, led by Lionel Messi, to Kerala. The second case followed allegations by Augustine that Kerala Chief Minister V.D.

Satheesan had entered into a second marriage while his existing marriage was still subsisting. The court has posted the matter for Monday. Augustine sought anticipatory bail after a Special Investigation Team investigating the football-related case conducted searches at the headquarters of Reporter Broadcasting Private Limited and at locations connected with him and his brothers.

Defence sources said the prosecution had clarified that an arrest was not imminent in either case. The defence has also asked that any arrest be preceded by appropriate notice. Augustine separately sought the release of $6,200 seized by the SIT during the searches.

The prosecution opposed that request, saying the source of the foreign currency had yet to be established and that forensic accounting was necessary. The case concerning allegations against Satheesan was initially registered by the Cyber Crime Police in Thiruvananthapuram City after a complaint by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Raju P. Nair.

It was later transferred to Kochi City Police because the alleged remarks were said to have been made in Kalamassery. Augustine was also arrested in an unrelated Abkari case after 67 litres of liquor, above the permitted limit, were seized from his ancestral home in Wayanad. The Kerala High Court later granted him bail in that case.