Anto Augustine’s mother-in-law seeks anticipatory bail in Wayanad liquor case

Kalpetta: The mother-in-law of Reporter Broadcasting Managing Director Anto Augustine has approached a court in Wayanad seeking protection from arrest in connection with a liquor seizure case linked to a house at Vazhavatta.

Lilly Jose filed the anticipatory bail application before the Kalpetta Sessions Court after the Excise Department attempted to summon her for questioning. The court will take up the plea on October 7.

According to officials, a team visited Lilly Jose’s home at Koliyadi in Sulthan Bathery to serve her a notice, but could not find her as the house was locked. The department has since been trying to trace her.

The case stems from a search conducted at a house in Vazhavatta by a special investigation team probing an alleged cheating case involving a promise to bring Argentine footballer Lionel Messi to Kerala. During the search, Excise officials reportedly recovered nearly 67 litres of liquor and wine.

The seized stock included over 43 litres of imported liquor, around 4.8 litres of imported wine, 5.5 litres of Kerala-made liquor and 860 ml of military liquor. A case was subsequently registered under Sections 55(i), 55(a) and 58 of the Abkari Act.

Anto Augustine was arrested in the case, spent four days in judicial custody and was later granted bail. He has, however, maintained before the Sulthan Bathery Magistrate’s Court and the Kerala High Court that the Vazhavatta house is not his property.

His lawyers argued that the house, which was attached by the State Bank of India in 2022, was subsequently bought by Lilly Jose for Rs 2.10 crore. Based on this submission, investigators widened the probe to include her.

The prosecution, however, has rejected the ownership claim. It told the court that the defence had produced only a certificate referring to the alleged purchase, and not a registered sale deed to prove transfer of ownership.

Prosecutors also pointed out that revenue records still showed Anto Augustine as the property owner. They cited a receipt showing that building tax of Rs 8,068 was paid in his name to Muttal Panchayat on March 18, 2026, and a certificate issued by the panchayat secretary on September 17—the day of his arrest—also naming him as owner.

Investigators have also collected digital evidence indicating that celebrations and gatherings involving Anto Augustine and his relatives were held at the house, according to the prosecution.

The Excise Department now wants to question Lilly Jose directly to establish who owned and possessed the property at the time of the seizure.

(Inputs from IANS)