# Reporter TV MD Anto Augustine gets bail in Kerala liquor case

2026-09-21T02:51:36+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted regular bail to Reporter TV managing director Anto Augustine in the liquor possession case registered by the Excise Department. Justice Kauser Edappagath imposed conditions while allowing the bail. Augustine was arrested on 17 September after a Special Investigation Team searching his ancestral home in Wayanad as part of a separate financial probe found liquor bottles. The Excise Department seized 43.850 litres of foreign-made liquor, wine and other alcoholic beverages from the property. A case was filed under the Kerala Abkari Act. Augustine had been remanded in judicial custody after a magistrate rejected his bail plea. The high court noted the recovery was already made and Augustine had no criminal antecedents. The detailed bail conditions are awaited from the court order.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All three outlets report the same sequence: arrest, bail denial, one-day excise custody, and eventual bail from the Kerala High Court on 22 September. Assam Tribune and Hindustan Times lead with the custody handover and do not carry the bail grant in their available text, while The News Minute leads with the high court bail and provides precise liquor volumes. The News Minute also notes the judge observed the recovery was already made and Augustine had no criminal antecedents. Neither source criticises the excise department nor the court, the coverage is uniform straight reporting. The full bail conditions, when released by the high court, will clarify the next legal step.

## Coverage

- assamtribune.com (neutral report) <https://assamtribune.com/national/reporter-tv-md-anto-augustine-handed-over-to-excise-custody-in-kerala-1617889>
  Uses wire copy IANS, leads with custody and court chronology
- hindustantimes.com (neutral report) <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/malayalam-tv-channel-md-sent-back-to-jail-after-one-day-excise-custody-in-wayanad-liquor-seizure-case-101789894992449.html>
  Leads with remand after custody, omits bail grant
- thenewsminute.com (neutral report) <https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/kerala-hc-grants-bail-to-reporter-tv-chief-anto-augustine-in-liquor-possession-case>
  Leads with high court bail, includes judge's reasoning

Tags: Anto Augustine, Kerala Excise Department, Kerala High Court, Reporter TV, Wayanad
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