Muttil tree-felling case in Keralam: Charges to be framed against Augustine brothers on September 7

Charges would be framed against the Augustine brothers in the cheating case linked to the Muttil tree-felling scandal in Keralam on September 7. The Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam, which considered the case on Monday (August 31, 2026), will consider the case again on September 7.The three accused - Roji Augustine, Jose Kutty Augustine, and Anto Augustine - face charges in the 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.The court also dismissed a petition filed by the accused on August 24 asking not to consider the case till final report is filed by the Forest department in the original Muttil tree-felling case to which the instant case has been linked. The prosecution opposed the application on the ground that this was a cheating case registered by the police, separate from the Muttil tree-felling case registered by the Forest department.The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Sulthan Bathery is overseeing the criminal proceedings and charge-sheets regarding the illegal felling of protected rosewood trees in Muttil South village.During the last hearing, the court had permitted the second and third accused to appear through video-conferencing. However, none of the accused were present on Monday.Earlier this month, the court had issued non-bailable warrants against the accused after they failed to appear personally for the framing of charges. Later, the warrants were recalled as they appeared before the court.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). Subsequently, the High Court quashed the charge under Section 406 but upheld the cheating offence.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.Despite repeated requests, the accused allegedly refused to return the advance or produce valid permits. Mr. Aliyar then alerted the Forest department, which confirmed the illegal sale and confiscated the timber on February 8, 2021. 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 was 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 and Anto Augustine, along with their brother 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 - August 31, 2026 03:18 pm IST