Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday criticised Reporter TV managing editor Anto Augustine, questioning his journalistic credentials and stating that he was an accused in several cases.“Is this journalism?” Satheesan asked while responding to questions at the India Today Roundtable Conclave here on Thursday.The CM said Augustine was allegedly involved in several cheating cases and that his name had also figured in a GST fraud case. An FIR had been registered in connection with a serious offence and the allegations against him were being investigated by a special investigation team, he said.Satheesan said the search at Augustine’s residence was conducted on the basis of a warrant issued by a court. He denied any connection between the search and the publication of any news report.“The police had maintained utmost restraint. This has nothing to do with any news. The action was related to a serious crime,” the chief minister said.He said 136 bottles of liquor were recovered during the search of Augustine’s house, which constituted a violation of the Excise Act. The police had also recovered US dollars from the media organisation, he claimed.Responding to criticism from the opposition over the searches, Satheesan said he had seen former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan opposing the action. “This is not the first time that a media organisation has been raided. Searches have been conducted at institutions such as Mangalam and Asianet as well,” he said.
