Cheating case: Kerala Cong President Sudhakaran moves HC seeking anticipatory bail

Kochi, June 15 Days after the Crime Branch police named him as the second accused in a cheating case, State Congress President K. Sudhakaran on Thursday filed an anticipatory bail plea in Kerala High Court.

The complaint against Sudhakaran was that a person called Anoop had given Rs 25 lakh to the now jailed fake antique dealer, Monson Mavunkal at his Kochi office in 2018.

When the money was being handed over, Sudhakaran was also present and he took Rs 10 lakh, promising to give the person a favour.

The Crime Branch named Sudhakaran as the second accused and asked him to appear before the probe team on Wednesday. However, he said that he will be unable to do so and instead will appear before them on June 23. The Crime Branch then issued a fresh notice asking him to come that day.

In his anticipatory bail plea filed through his counsel Mathew Kuzhalnaden, a first time Congress legislator, the top Congress Lok Sabha member from Kannur said this is nothing but a politically motivated case as in the first complaint of the complainant, his name was not there and it was after a long time, that his name was included.

"I have done no wrong at all and I have not taken money from anyone and this is now being done to lower my dignity," said his petition.

In September 2021, Mavunkal hogged the headlines after a person who was allegedly cheated to the tune of Rs 10 crore by Mavunkal, approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan which eventually led to Mavunkal's arrest.

Mavunkal used to bring several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into a museum to store his 'precious' antiques, which he claimed included the "staff of Moses" and "two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ".

The police said that he also displayed a throne said to be used by Tipu Sultan, as well as a huge collection of old Qurans, Bibles (Old Testament and New Testament), and old handwritten copies of the Bhagavad Gita.

The first case surfaced, after pictures of the now retired state police chief Loknath Behra and serving additional director general of police Manoj Abraham visiting the "museum" of Mavunkal at Kochi went viral.

As the matter went before the court, it asked how these top police officials never thought of how a museum like this can function as the rules are very clear. It also sought to know why the police set up a daily beat box at his house and the museum.

Sudhakaran had then admitted that he had visited Mavunkal to get advice on a health issue that he was facing.

Mavunkal, since his arrest, continues to be in judicial custody.