Reporter TV Managing Editor Anto Augustine denied bail in alcohol seizure case
Anto Augustine, Managing Editor of Reporter TV, has been denied bail following his arrest for the illegal possession of a large quantity of alcohol. The court cited the nascent stage of the investigation and the accused's criminal antecedents as reasons for the denial.
Why it matters
The case is notable due to the accused's high-profile media role and its connection to an ongoing investigation into a sports-related scam.
Anto Augustine, the Managing Editor of Reporter TV, who was arrested by Excise officials on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) for possessing alcohol beyond permissible limits, was denied bail by a trial court on Friday (September 18).
Adheena Biju, the Judicial First Class Magistrate-I, Sulthan Bathery, denied Mr. Augustine bail after concluding that he was not entitled to the discretionary relief of bail at the present stage of the investigation.
The court accepted the arguments of the Assistant Public Prosecutor T. Abul Hassan that the investigation was only at its nascent stage. The court said it was not inclined to release the accused on bail, considering the nature and quantity of the alleged recovery of alcohol, the stage of investigation, the criminal antecedents attributed to the petitioner and the other circumstances emerging from the case records.
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