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The Kerala police have registered a case against the owner of a Malayalam news channel and two unknown persons after the owner said the men approached him with papers alleging that Chief Minister VD Satheesan had illegally registered a second marriage in Karnataka in 2012.
Thiruvananthapuram cyber crime police station registered the case against Anto Augustine, Managing Director of Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC) that owns the news channel Reporter Live and two others based on a complaint filed by Congress leader Raju P Nair demanding a comprehensive investigation into the false and fabricated allegations.
The case was registered under sections 336(4)(forgery),337 (forgery of public registers), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy),356(3) (criminal defamation),340(2) (forged document or electronic record),339 (possession of forged documents) under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The allegation was raised a few days ago by Anto at a public event on September 11, where he claimed that two men had approached him with documents a week ago saying that they had news worth crores. He added that the channel didn’t air the news after they couldn’t find any evidence at the register office concerned.
Anto said he had sent his Thiruvananthapuram bureau chief and a cameraperson to Byndoor in Karnataka to verify the documents he received. The channel did not telecast the allegation after the register office authorities denied any such incidents. The reporter also verified the register and couldn't find any supporting documents. “That could be a false document,” Anto said at the event.
On Wednesday, September 16, the Kerala police conducted raids at Reporter Live’s head office in Kochi, in connection with an unsuccessful bid by RBC to bring Argentina football team and its then captain Lionel Messi to Kerala.
On September 3, Kerala government constituted a special investigation team, headed by ADGP P Vijayan, to probe into the findings of the Sports department citing illegality in the selection of sponsor RBC. The SIT has been tasked to investigate the source of funds and financial transactions between the RBC and other individuals involved in the event. Though RBC had promised to bring Messi and the Argentina team to Kerala, it never materialised during the former World Cup team’s India tour.
The police raid triggered huge protests following allegations that the police disrupted the telecast of the 24 hour news channel.
Responding to the media over a police raid at the TV channel office, Anto said that he was ready to cooperate with the investigation into the Messi incident. However, he added that he will not answer any questions related to his news sources. "If their aim is to get anything related to journalism, including the second marriage of VD Satheesan, I don't have an answer for that," Anto said.
The case was registered after Raju P Nair, general secretary of Ernakulam district congress committee, filed the petition on Wednesday, September 16 to director general of police Ravada Chandrasekhar, demanding an investigation into the conspiracy behind the fabrication and circulation of the documents against Kerala chief minister.
According to the petition, the move was an attempt to destabilise the elected government and damage the reputation and dignity of a person leading a public life.
The petition said that the two young men fabricated documents resembling official records of the Byndoor Sub-Registrar’s Office, including a marriage certificate and statutory notice, with the intention of defaming VD Satheesan. He requested inspection of CCTV of Reporter TV office and seizing of its hard disk as Anto claimed that the men visited him at his office. Raju demanded a comprehensive investigation as the allegations were directed at the Chief Minister of the state.
Raju, in the petition, also questioned Anto’s failure to inform authorities or initiate further action even after discovering that the allegations were false.
