Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaranon Thursday moved the Kerala High Court seeking protection from arrest in a cheating case involving controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.

Sudhakaran, who has been named as the second accused in the cheating case involving controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, said in his anticipatory bail plea that he apprehends arrest as he could not turn up before the investigating agency on 14 June.

The Crime Branch, on 10  June 2023, issued a notice to Sudhakaran stating that they had received certain ‘credible information’ and had ‘reasonable suspicion’ regarding his involvement in the said crime. The Crime branch probe team asked Sudhakaran  to appear before them on14 June.

However, the petitioner avers that he had certain pre-arranged priorities and consultations due to which he was unable to do so. He claims he had informed the Crime branch  of the same vide a letter dated  13 June  2023, and sought another date to appear.

Sudhakaran, in the plea contended that the case in question was registered in September 2021 and there were no allegations or accusations against him in the FIR. It is pertinent to state that after more than 19 months of registering the crime, the personal appearance of the petitioner is sought for,based on a suspicion that the petitioner is allegedly involved in the crime, the petition said.

The Congress Kerala chief claimed in his plea that prima facie the notice issued to him to be present in person before the Crime Branch “appears to have been for extraneous reasons and political compulsion best known to the police authorities.”

Sudhakaran further said that the notice was issued under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code which gives the police powers to arrest the person whether he complies or not with the notice. “In light of the said reasons, the petitioner apprehends arrest by the respondent 2 (Crime Branch) for offences stated in the notice,” his plea said.

The Crime Branch wing  of Kerala Police have  on Monday  named  Congress  Kerala chief K Sudhakaran as the second accused  in the Monson Mavunkal fake antique fraud case.

The  probe  team on Monday submitted its report to the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate  court (ACJM court)in Kochi accusing Sudhakaran as complicit in the case.

The Crime Branch in September 2021  arrested Monson Mavunkal who had allegedly cheated people by selling fake antiques and claimed his collection has staff of Moses, two out of the 30 silver coins taken by Judas and the throne of Tipu Sultan by knitting a web of lies to woo influential persons including politicians, film stars and top cops.

A number of senior officers in the state police, including former police  chief Lokanath Behera had been pictured with  Mavunkal.ADGP Manoj Abraham and former IG G Lakshman were also found to have visited  the conman at his residence in Kochi.