Partner in crime: Malayalam channel protects owners guilty in Muttil tree felling case
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Kochi: The accused in the infamous Muttil tree felling case, who now own one of the leading Malayalam Channels, Reporter TV, have been accused of using the channel to portray themselves as not guilty, while rejecting the narratives of news organizations that showed their involvement in the case.
The relaunched channel, under the management of Augustine brothers, has gone on the defensive mode following a flurry of follow-up stories by rival channels.
The case revolves around the illegal chopping down of rosewood trees from private properties reserved by the Kerala government in Muttil South village, Wayanad. The accused, including the channel's top brass, were arrested in July 2021 and are alleged to have deceived tribal people in Wayanad by convincing them about a government order sanctioning the tree felling, thereby persuading them to sell the trees.
Reporter TV's Managing Director, Anto Augustine, and his brothers have faced allegations linking them to the illegal tree cutting case. Anto Augustine, in a prime-time debate, made serious accusations against the Managing Director of another channel, claiming his involvement in illegal tree cutting for years, without any cases registered against him.
The controversy deepens as it comes to light that the Augustine brothers have a history of facing criminal cases, including the infamous Mango Phone scam in 2016, which involved financial fraud allegations.
Environmental activists and media reports have consistently voiced concerns about the illegal felling, with the trees being classified as 'reserved' under the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth in Non-Forest Areas (Amendment) Act, 2007. Despite the land being classified as Patta land and not forest land, the trees were protected under the 'reserved' category, making their felling illegal.
The case came to public attention in February 2020 when the Kerala forest department seized a large number of rosewood logs worth Rs 60 lakh from a timber mill at Perumbavoor, transported without proper documentation by Roji Augustine. Further investigations revealed that over 100 rosewood trees, worth Rs 8 crore, were illegally axed across 42 sites in Muttil South village.
The confusion surrounding the legality of tree felling on Patta land was heightened in 2017 when eight species of trees were removed from the list of 'reserved' trees, leaving landowners unsure about which trees they could legally fall.
While a circular was issued in March 2020 clarifying that all reserved trees, except sandalwood, could be chopped down by the owners of Patta land, it was later contested in the Kerala High Court and stayed.
In October 2020, another government order was issued to clear the ambiguity, allowing farmers to cut down such trees without requiring special permission. However, this order was cancelled in January 2021.
