# Messi event probe: SIT searches Reporter TV office, FIR names Anto Augustine 2026-09-16T05:49:14+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged financial irregularities in the failed plan to bring Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team to Kerala searched the office of Reporter TV and homes of its directors on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The searches were conducted at five locations in Kochi and Wayanad based on a court warrant, the SIT said. Journalists at Reporter TV alleged police seized their phones and disrupted newsroom operations for about 90 minutes. The Kalamassery police have registered an FIR naming Anto Augustine as the first accused and Reporter Broadcasting Company Private Limited as the second accused, Mathrubhumi and The Hindu report. The FIR alleges a criminal conspiracy before December 20, 2024, to cheat the government by inserting false clauses into an agreement with the Argentina Football Association and by seeking exemption from a Rs 5 crore security deposit for the Kaloor stadium. Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the police action as an attack on media freedom, calling it worse than the NewsClick raid, The News Minute reports. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three outlets report the SIT action factually, but differ in framing. The News Minute leads with the police search of the newsroom and Opposition condemnation, foregrounding media freedom. Mathrubhumi focuses on the FIR's details of cheating and deception, naming Anto Augustine. The Hindu balances the FIR's allegations with Augustine's denial and his counter-allegation of a politically motivated raid. The coverage suggests a core dispute: whether the search was a legitimate probe into a fraud or an attack on press freedom. The next step is the SIT's digital evidence verification. The Kerala High Court is the next forum to watch, Augustine may challenge the FIR and search warrant there. ## Coverage - thenewsminute.com (government critical) Leads with Opposition condemnation of raid, frames police action as media freedom attack - english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report) Straight reporting of FIR details, no editorialising on police or accused - thehindu.com (neutral report) Balances FIR allegations with Augustine's counter-claims, no overt slant Tags: Anto Augustine, Kerala SIT, Lionel Messi, Pinarayi Vijayan, Reporter TV Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sit-searches-reporter-tv-in-messi-fraud-probe-fir-names-anto-augustine/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sit-searches-reporter-tv-in-messi-fraud-probe-fir-names-anto-augustine/#story-in-brief