The Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Anto Augustine, the Managing Director of a private Malayalam news channel (Reporter Broadcasting Company), in an excise case. The case was registered after liquor bottles exceeding the permissible limit were seized from his ancestral home in Wayanad.
While granting relief, Justice Kauser Edappagath noted that there are no past or present cases registered against Augustine involving foreign liquor. The court clarified that bail is generally granted in such cases unless the accused has a criminal history or faces multiple cases. What arguments were presented in court?
During the hearing, Director General of Prosecution (DGP) T. Asaf Ali argued that Augustine is a man of “money and power” and is not cooperating with the police investigation. The court observed that while the accused is not obliged to answer every question posed by the police, conditions could certainly be imposed to ensure cooperation with the investigation. Arrested on September 7
It is noteworthy that the Excise Department arrested him on September 17 after a Special Investigation Team—probing irregularities related to a football event—discovered the liquor bottles at his residence. He had approached the High Court after the trial court rejected his bail plea.
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