‘SIT has complete freedom in investigation; Raids in media houses not for first time’ 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has complete freedom to conduct the investigation in the case involving an alleged multi-crore financial fraud in the name of football legend Lionel Messi. The minister also clarified that the raid was conducted only after obtaining the necessary permissions, including a search warrant.

Speaking to the media, he said that raids at media houses were not happening for the first time and that such raids had also taken place during the tenure of the LDF government.

‘The SIT was formed on the basis of a report submitted by the sports secretary. Chief Minister V D Satheesan handed the report over to me with directions to take necessary action. The home department examined the report, following which the SIT was formed and an investigation into the matter was initiated.

‘There are rules on how the SIT should function. As far as I understand, they have not done anything illegal during the inspection at the media house.

The raid was conducted after obtaining the necessary permissions, including a search warrant. The SIT has its own methods of investigation. Let the investigation proceed. If the facts are established, the law will take its own course. Will examine whether anything illegal has taken place during the raid at the media house. This is not the first time that a media has been raided. The home minister or the home department never interferes in a police investigation,’ he said.