Muttil tree-felling cheating case posted for framing charges on Aug 31

Muttil tree-felling cheating case posted for framing charges on Aug 31 Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam dismisses Augustine brothers' plea challenging the court's jurisdiction to preside over the case.

Key points

• The Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam, Kerala, has posted the cheating case linked to the Muttil tree-felling scandal for framing of charges on August 31, 2026.
• In July 2026, the Kerala High Court dismissed the discharge petitions of Jose Kutty and Anto Augustine.
• Aliyar to the tune of ₹1.4 crore by offering to sell timber.
• Despite repeated requests, the accused allegedly refused to return the advance or produce valid permits.
• The court permitted the second and third accused to appear for the framing of charges through video conferencing.

Meanwhile, the Chottanikkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Ernakulam, Kerala, has posted the cheating case linked to the Muttil tree-felling scandal for framing of charges on August 31, 2026. The three accused siblings — 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.

In practice, the court permitted the second and third accused to appear for the framing of charges through video conferencing. Nevertheless, their plea challenging the court's jurisdiction to preside over the case was dismissed. Earlier this month, the court had issued non-bailable warrants against the accused after they failed to appear personally for the framing of charges. After which the warrants were recalled, they afterwards surrendered 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. It 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 additionally the 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.

Taken together, the developments around muttil tree-felling cheating case posted for framing charges on Aug 31 point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.