Kerala HC grants two week-interim anticipatory bail to Sudhakaran

Kochi, June 21 Five days after the Kerala High Court ruled that no action should be taken against state Congress chief and Kannur Lok Sabha member K.Sudhakaran in a cheating case involving the now-jailed fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, on Wednesday granted two weeks' interim anticipatory bail on his plea.

The court while granting his request asked him to cooperate with the probe as he has been asked to appear before the Crime Branch police probe team on Friday.

Even though the police informed the court that they have no plans to arrest him, the court said in case an arrest is done he should be given bail on a surety bond of Rs 50,000.

Sudhakaran is facing charges in a cheating case involving the now-jailed fake antique dealer, Monson Mavunkal. It is alleged that one Anoop had paid Rs 25 lakh to Mavunkal at the Congress leader's Kochi office in 2018.

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

The Crime Branch named Sudhakaran as the second accused and asked him to appear before the probe team on June 14, but then he expressed his unavailability and said will appear before them on June 23.

The Crime Branch then issued a fresh notice.

In his plea, Sudhakaran contended that there was no allegation against him in the FIR which was registered in 2021 based on a complaint received in 2018 and it was only much later that his name was included.