Kerala Police Search Reporter TV Offices in Messi Event Fraud Probe

The Kerala Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) conducted coordinated search operations at five locations on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, as part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities surrounding a failed attempt to bring Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to Kochi. The searches, authorized by magistrate court warrants, targeted the head office of the Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) in Kalamassery, Ernakulam, as well as the residences of managing director Anto Augustine and his brothers, Roji and Josekutty Augustine. Investigators also searched the brothers' ancestral property in Wayanad and the home of the company's administrative head, Shah Feena Mehar Ali.

The Kalamassery police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on September 15, 2026, naming Anto Augustine and the Reporter Broadcasting Company Private Limited as accused. The charges include cheating and criminal conspiracy. The investigation centers on the selection of RBC as the sponsor for a proposed international friendly match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi during the previous LDF government's tenure. Preliminary findings by the state Sports Department have alleged that the sponsorship was awarded to a private entity without a transparent tender process, raising questions about whether the Argentina team had ever officially confirmed their participation.

A central focus of the SIT investigation is the transfer of funds to foreign accounts. Allegations under examination suggest that RBC transferred approximately Rs 126 crore to foreign entities in connection with the event, with Rs 77.16 crore reportedly moved in June 2025 and the remainder in November. The Enforcement Directorate is conducting a separate probe into these overseas transactions to determine if they violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Investigators are also reviewing the source of funds that reached the sponsor company's accounts, including the valuation of land reportedly offered as security.

Following reports of the raids, Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan denied allegations that police disrupted the news operations of Reporter TV. He stated that the SIT acted under valid search warrants procured from a magistrate court. The investigation, led by ADGP P. Vijayan, continues to examine government orders, GST records, and agreements signed with foreign sports management companies to clarify the financial arrangements and potential tax evasion linked to the event.