Police Action In Reporter TV: Refrain From Acting Against Journalists, Press Club Of India To Kerala Police
Kochi, Keralam: The Press Club of India has strongly condemned the recent raid by the Kerala Police on the newsroom inside headquarters of Reporter TV in here, describing the operation as a direct threat to press freedom. The journalists’ body demanded an immediate halt to action against media personnel and called for the urgent return of all seized devices.
The raid unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday at the main office of the Reporter Broadcasting Company, which operates Reporter TV alongside several digital outlets. At approximately 5:00 am, police personnel entered the newsroom in Kochi and remained inside for about ninety minutes, as per the live visuals broadcast by the top rated Malayalam news channel. During this time, officers reportedly interfered with an ongoing live news broadcast and forcibly escorted the News Editor away from his desk while he was on live duty.
In a formal statement, the Press Club of India expressed deep concern over the incident, noting that police officers misused a search warrant intended solely for the administrative block of the building. By using the warrant to gain entry into the core newsroom—a restricted zone accessed only by technical staff and working journalists—the police violated standard procedure, the organisation stated.
Police Action In Reporter TV: Refrain From Acting Against Journalists, Press Club Of India To Kerala Police
“This kind of disruption of journalistic activities and intimidation of journalists at work goes against the values of a free press enshrined in India’s Constitution,” the Press Club of India said. The association urged law enforcement authorities to refrain from targeting journalists and to hand back all confiscated mobile phones and technical devices immediately.
The police operation stems from ongoing financial investigations involving the owners of the Reporter Broadcasting Company, Anto Augustine and Joskutty Augustine, brothers from Wayanad. The probe centres on a failed high-profile event that was set to involve international football icon Lionel Messi and other figures. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Kerala Police previously flagged alleged financial irregularities and tax evasion totaling Rs 25.78 crore linked to promotional deals and undisclosed bank accounts connected to the project.
Despite the ongoing investigation into the channel’s owners, the Press Club of India pointed out that newsroom journalists had no connection to the financial dispute. Furthermore, authorities offered no immediate justification for targeting newsroom staff or confiscating their personal equipment during the live broadcast.
The raid was conducted under the leadership of the Thrikkakara ACP. Adding to the controversy, the Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala later informed the media group that the operation had been carried out without his knowledge or formal authorization. Channel representatives claimed the sudden seizure of devices was aimed directly at disrupting the channel’s signal.
The incident has triggered sharp political reactions across the state. Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, comparing the police action to measures enforced during the Emergency era.
“The action of the Kerala Police in intruding into the Reporter TV newsroom and disrupting news broadcasting is extremely objectionable,” Vijayan said. “Early in the morning, a group of police personnel stormed the newsroom in Kochi and seized the phones of working journalists, creating an atmosphere of terror for nearly an hour and a half.”
Vijayan added that the raid reflected a broader pattern of state-sponsored pressure on media houses. He likened the police intrusion to raids conducted against organisations like NewsClick in Delhi.
Responding the questions of highhandedness by the police inside the newsroom, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan responded that the police action inside the media house was conducted strictly in accordance with legal requirements, maintaining that law enforcement acted as mandated.
He stated that police officers inside the newsroom did not interrupt live broadcasting, adding that he only learned about the raid through Reporter TV’s own live coverage. The Chief Minister affirmed that the police investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving the news channel and its promoters—specifically concerning the failed event to bring Lionel Messi to Kerala—will continue as the law demands.
Notably, the raid took place just days after Anto Augustine, one of the channel’s promoters, claimed that two individuals had approached him alleging they possessed exclusive information regarding the Chief Minister secretly marrying a second time in Karnataka.
As criticisms grow from media bodies and political leaders, pressure is mounting on the state government to address the allegations of police high-handedness and ensure the return of seized equipment to working journalists.
