Kerala police summon broadcaster Anto Augustine over Chief Minister remarks

Kalamassery police have summoned Reporter Broadcasting Company managing director Anto Augustine for questioning in a case concerning comments he made about Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. A police officer said Augustine had been directed to appear for interrogation at 10 a.m.

on Monday, September 28. The police had earlier recorded the statement of Congress spokesperson Raju P. Nair, who filed the complaint against him.

The case followed a revelation by Augustine that two people had approached him with what they described as a journalistic scoop about Satheesan’s alleged second marriage. Augustine said his channel did not broadcast the claim because his team could not verify it. Nair questioned the context in which Augustine made the revelation and sought an investigation into a possible conspiracy.

Police have registered a case against Augustine and two unidentified people under provisions relating to alleged conspiracy and forgery. The supplied report does not say that the allegation about Satheesan was verified, nor does it provide details of any document alleged to have been forged. The police inquiry is focused on the circumstances surrounding Augustine’s comments and the complaint filed by Nair.

Augustine’s appearance will give investigators an opportunity to question him about the source of the information, the people who allegedly approached him and the decision not to broadcast it. The report does not include a response from Augustine, Satheesan or the Chief Minister’s office. The case remains under investigation.

The summons does not itself establish wrongdoing by Augustine or the two unidentified people, and the supplied material gives no information about further police action after the scheduled questioning.