States » SouthPosted at: Oct 1 2026 6:47PM


Reporter TV MD Anto Augustine questioned for 3.5 hrs over fake marriage claim against Kerala CM

Kochi, Oct 1 (UNI) Reporter Broadcasting Company Managing Director Anto Augustine was questioned by the Kalamassery police for three-and-a-half hours on Thursday in connection with a case relating to an alleged fake claim that Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan had contracted a second marriage.
Augustine appeared before the investigation team at the Kalamassery police station at around 1100 hours following a fresh notice issued by the police. The investigators sought details about the alleged forged documents, including their source and the persons who had handed them over to Augustine.
After the questioning, Augustine told mediapersons that he had told the police everything he had to say and that he had not been asked to appear again.
The police had earlier directed Augustine to appear for questioning on September 28, but he did not turn up, citing inconvenience. He subsequently approached the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the FIR. The police later issued a fresh notice directing him to appear before the investigation team on Thursday.
The case relates to remarks made by Augustine at a public programme in Pathanamthitta on September 10. He had said that two persons approached him with copies of a marriage registration certificate and a notice purportedly relating to a second marriage of Satheesan, describing the material as a news story worth crores.
Augustine had said that the documents were presented to him as a potential journalistic scoop but that Reporter TV did not telecast the story after its team conducted verification and could not substantiate the claim. He had also said that the purported records were checked, including at the sub-registrar office at Byndoor in Karnataka.
The police action followed a complaint filed by KPCC spokesperson Raju P Nair, who alleged that forged documents were prepared as part of a conspiracy to defame Satheesan and destabilise the government for political gain.
The case invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to forgery, manipulation of public documents, criminal conspiracy, defamation and knowingly using forged documents. A Zero FIR initially registered by the Thiruvananthapuram City Cyber Crime Police was subsequently transferred to the Kalamassery police for investigation.
Augustine is the first accused in the case, while two unidentified persons have also been named as accused. The investigation is focusing on the origin and authenticity of the purported documents and the circumstances in which they reached Augustine.
The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court had earlier considered Augustine's anticipatory bail plea after the prosecution informed the court that the police had no immediate plans to arrest him. Augustine has also approached the High Court seeking to quash the FIR.
UNI DS
Tags: #Reporter TV MD Anto Augustine questioned for 3.5 hrs over fake marriage claim against Kerala CM
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