Reporter TV managing director Anto Augustine did not appear before the Kalamassery police, who had summoned him for interrogation on Monday (September 28, 2026) in connection with a controversial comment made by him concerning Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.
Mr. Augustine replied to the police notice that he was unable to appear before the investigators due to some inconvenience and sought more time, according to his lawyer. He said Mr. Augustine had, meanwhile, filed a petition before the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him based on a complaint from Congress spokesperson Raju P. Nair.
Mr. Augustine has sought to quash the FIR on the grounds that the police cannot register a case over alleged defamation and that the complaint has not been filed by the purported affected party, the lawyer said.
Mr. Augustine had been asked to appear before the police at 10 a.m. on Monday. Last week, the police had recorded the statement of Mr. Nair.
The police have registered a case against Mr. Augustine and two unidentified people.
The case pertains to a revelation made by Mr. Augustine that two people had met him with what they claimed was a journalistic scoop on Mr. Satheesan’s alleged second marriage. He claimed that his channel did not telecast the news after his team could not verify the allegation.
Mr. Nair said he was suspicious of the context in which Mr. Augustine made the purported revelation and sought a probe into a possible conspiracy behind the episode.
The police have registered the case under various sections relating to alleged conspiracy, forgery and criminal defamation.
Published – September 28, 2026 12:42 pm IST
