The Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam on Friday (September 11, 2026) further postponed the framing of charges against the Augustine brothers in the cheating case linked to the Muttil tree-felling scandal in Wayanad, Keralam, to September 19.
The adjournment followed a plea by the accused seeking suspension of proceedings until the Kerala High Court delivered its verdict. On Thursday (September 10, 2026), the High Court reserved its verdict and vacated the interim order on the proceedings, enabling the investigating officer to file the final report within 10 days.
The case is likely to be taken up by the High Court on September 18.
Charges
The three accused — Roji Augustine, Jose Kutty Augustine, and Anto Augustine — face charges in a case registered by the Ambalamedu police on a petition filed by M.M. Aliyar, proprietor of Malabar Timber Industries, Karimugal, alleging fraud in the sale of timber from illegally felled trees in 2021.
Earlier, on August 24, the court had dismissed a petition filed by the accused seeking to defer proceedings until the Forest Department submitted its final report in the original Muttil tree-felling case, to which the present case has been linked. The prosecution opposed the plea, arguing that this was a cheating case registered by the police, distinct from the tree-felling case pursued by the Forest Department.
The accused also challenged the jurisdiction of the court, but their petition was dismissed.
Meanwhile, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Sulthan Bathery continues to oversee criminal proceedings and charge-sheets related to the illegal felling of protected rosewood trees in Muttil South village.
In July 2026, the Kerala High Court dismissed the discharge petitions of Jose Kutty and Anto Augustine. The police had initially booked the case under IPC Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating). The High Court later quashed the charge under Section 406 but upheld the offence of cheating. According to the prosecution, the accused defrauded Mr. Aliyar to the tune of ₹1.4 crore by offering to sell timber.
The FIR registered on July 13, 2021, states that the brothers collected the amount in instalments as advance and sold him 54 pieces of timber from illegally felled trees. The timber was allegedly cut and transported from the Meppadi Forest Range in Wayanad.
In their discharge petition, the accused argued that no permit was required for transporting the timber and that the charges were unsustainable. Mr. Aliyar countered that he had been misled into believing the sale was lawful.
The court rejected the accused’s contention, noting that the Forest Department’s investigation established they had no authority to transport or sell the timber.
Jose Kutty, Anto Augustine and Roji Augustine, are also key accused in the alleged large-scale illegal felling and smuggling of protected rosewood and teak trees worth an estimated ₹8 crore from assigned lands in Muttil South, Wayanad, carried out without the Forest Department’s sanction.
Published – September 11, 2026 01:46 pm IST