Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday defended the police raid on the offices of Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC), saying the search was legal and part of an investigation into the controversy surrounding the proposed visit of Argentine football star Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to Kerala.

Satheesan said the police had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) based on a complaint by the Sports Department and that the raid was conducted after an FIR was registered.

“There is a controversy in which Messi and the Argentina team would be brought to Kerala. The Sports Department had given a complaint to the Kerala government about this controversy. The Home Department checked the complaint and formed an SIT. As part of their investigation, they registered an FIR. The raid was conducted as part of their investigation and it was legal,” he told the media during the Cabinet briefing.

Asked whether the raid was part of a government policy, Satheesan said it was purely part of the investigation and not a government policy.
The Chief Minister also said a GST fraud was involved in the controversy.

The Kalamassery Police have registered a case against Anto Augustine, authorised signatory of Reporter Broadcasting Private Limited, the company and others, on charges including cheating and criminal conspiracy. The case relates to an agreement with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and arrangements involving the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor.

The case was registered on Tuesday, following which the SIT conducted extensive searches at RBC offices and the residences of its owners on Wednesday.

CM rejects allegations of news disruption
Satheesan also rejected allegations that the police disrupted the functioning of the Reporter news desk during the search.

Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan had condemned the police action, alleging that the police entered the news desk, seized journalists' phones and created an atmosphere of fear for around one-and-a-half hours. “Early this morning, a group of policemen barged into the news desk in Kochi, seized journalists’ phones, and created an atmosphere of fear for about an hour and a half,” Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

He likened the action to attacks faced by the media in BJP-ruled states and alleged that the police had disrupted the channel's news broadcasting.

Satheesan denied that the live broadcast had been disrupted. “I don’t know of any instance where the live news broadcast was disrupted. I came to know about the raid from the Reporter channel itself,” he said.

Anto Augustine says he will cooperate 
Responding to the controversy, Anto Augustine said he would cooperate with any investigation into the matter. “Regarding the Messi controversy, I will cooperate with any investigation and any raid,” he told the media.

Meanwhile, several CPM leaders also criticised the police action at the Reporter news desk.

Former Finance Minister and Kottarakkara MLA K N Balagopal described the raids as an “Indira Raid” and compared them with the actions against the media during the Emergency under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Balagopal also criticised Satheesan over the police action, saying that whoever speaks against the government was targeted and it could not be allowed. 
CPM leaders including K K Shailaja, P Rajeev, Veena George and John Brittas also condemned the raids.