Kochi (Keralam) [India], September 18 (ANI): Following the high-profile arrest of Reporter TV Managing Director and Managing Editor, Anto Augustine, in Wayanad, Twenty20 party President and Kitex MD Sabu M Jacob on Friday claimed that Augustine exerts undue pressure on politicians and bureaucrats while running the news outlet without legal authorisation.

Speaking to ANI, he made severe allegations regarding the channel's ownership structure, broadcast operations, and political influence. 

'So much pressure he is giving to the bureaucrats as well as the politicians. Also, he is running this reporter channel is totally illegally. Not a single paper. He doesn't have the broadcasting license, and they don't have the national security clearance, and the national security clearance was rejected three times. And such a person is owning that and running that, cheating people,' he said.

Earlier, the Excise Department launched a comprehensive investigation into a major Abkari case involving contraband, spurious liquor, and military-issue alcohol.

Addressing the media on the development on Thursday, Y Shibu, Excise Joint Commissioner, highlighted the gravity of the situation and outlined the multi-pronged investigation currently underway.

'The investigation into the case is currently ongoing. The seized items include liquor bearing 'Foreign Made Foreign Liquor' stickers, as well as spurious liquor. There is also liquor intended exclusively for defence personnel, which is only meant to be issued to the military. An investigation into all of this liquor needs to be conducted,' stated Excise Joint Commissioner Y Shibu.

The Excise Department has officially registered the matter as an Abkari case under crime number CR 154/2026 at the Kalpetta Excise Range Office.  Emphasising the expertise assigned to the operation, Shibu noted, 'A highly capable Excise Circle Inspector has been tasked with this. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Excise Department is conducting the probe.'

The seized stock consists of multiple illegal categories: a significant portion of the haul is Foreign Made Foreign Liquor (FMFL), smuggled directly from abroad; Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) mixed stock was recovered during the raid; Defense-Only Liquor, stock legally restricted solely to military personnel; and unverified suspected spurious liquor, stock requiring lab testing to trace its origin.

A day earlier, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Keralam Police conducted extensive search operations at the headquarters of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV and the residences of its promoters, the Augustine brothers, in connection with an alleged fraud case related to the proposed visit of football icon Lionel Messi to the state. (ANI)