Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has admitted in the state legislative assembly that while the investigation into the high-profile Muttil tree felling case is complete, ten supplementary charge sheets are yet to be filed in court. The admission has intensified allegations that the government is providing a protective shield to the prime accused, the Augustine brothers, who are also the owners of Reporter News Channel.
Responding to a question from MLA Anwar Sadath, the Chief Minister confirmed the delay in judicial proceedings against Roji Augustine, Josukutty Augustine, Anto Augustine, and nine other co-accused. The main case was registered at the Meenangadi Police Station in Wayanad under Crime No. 281/21.
The accused face a battery of serious charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including cheating (Section 420), criminal breach of trust (406, 409), forgery (468), using forged documents as genuine (471), and criminal conspiracy (120B). They are also charged under Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act.
According to the Chief Minister’s statement, the first charge sheet was filed in the Sultan Bathery JFCM-1 court on December 2, 2023, followed by 30 supplementary charge sheets on January 29, 2024. However, despite the passage of time, the investigation team has not submitted the final 10 supplementary charge sheets, a delay that critics claim is deliberate to favour the accused.
The case revolves around the illegal felling and smuggling of protected trees, including centuries-old rosewood, worth crores of rupees. The accused allegedly exploited a controversial 2020 government order that permitted the felling of certain trees on land assigned to farmers after 1964. DNA analysis later confirmed that trees over 500 years old were among those cut down. Furthermore, a forensic examination in Thiruvananthapuram proved that the applications submitted to the village office in the names of the landowners were forged by the accused.
While the Chief Minister stated that an interim investigation report has been submitted, he declined to provide a copy, citing that the matter is sub-judice.
The delay in filing the final charge sheets comes amidst growing criticism that Reporter TV has been maintaining a pro-government stance, allegedly in return for leniency in the case. The case is also being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
