K. Sudhakaran is the chief president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), who was detained on Friday evening by the Main Crime Branch of the police in a fraud-cheating case involving fake antiquities sold by the antique dealer Monson Mavunkal. He was released on bail after eight hours of rigorous interrogation, which he had attended early in the morning.
When Sudhakaran was being released on bail, he gave the statement to the reporters, saying, “They questioned me. After that, they recorded my arrest, and then I was released on bail. I have faith in the judiciary. I will face the case in court.” He was overly confident that the police had no evidence or reason to detain or punish him. He stated that he is not afraid and will not hide from it but will face it.
The case for which Sudhakaran was accused was after the petitioners or the buyers filed a complaint against Monson Mavunkal for fooling them into buying antiquities that are not real but fake, and that was for an amount of Rs 10 crores, from which they had paid around Rs 25 lakhs in front of the chief Sudhakaran at prime accused’s former house in Kaloor. The prime accused, Monson Mavunkal, was arrested two years ago, in September 2021, and after these two years, Sudhakaran was arrested.
Moreover, the investigators and police had found digital evidence against K.Sudhakaran that revealed his presence at Monson’s house when the petitioners claimed to hand out the money to Monson Mavunkal. Also, Monson’s employees gave out the statements according to this, which had the greater effect on the prime accused being detained. But Sudhakaran reported that he had visited Monson’s place for treatment, as Monson Mavunkal claimed to be a trained cosmetologist.
On the morning of Saturday, prior to leaving the Crime Branch office of police after the interrogation, K. Sudhakaran stated that he has not committed any crime or done anything illegal, and he is not afraid of anything.
He stated, “No matter what statement Crime Branch makes, as long as my conscience is clear, I do not fear anything. Whatever evidence they have, let it come. I will face it.” He added. “I know what I did and did not do. My conscience tells me I have done no wrong. I have not misused anyone. I have not accepted bribes from anyone. In my life and politics, I am a politician who has never accepted any bribe. It is political ethics. Therefore, I do not fear anyone.”
The arrest move of KPCC Chief President K. Sudhakaran has not been taken very lightly by the Congress Party, which has given a strong call for protests across the state in the following days. This move has been called as a political conspiracy by Congress leaders M. Lyju and T.U. Radhakrishnan and aims to weaken the Congress in the State.
On Wednesday, the Kerala High Court, while asking Sudhakaran to appear before the Crime Branch on June 23, said that in the case where he was detained in the cheating-fraud case of Monson Mavunkal, he would be released on bail on signing a bond of Rs 50,000, including two sureties of the same amount. This order is in force for two weeks, as stated by the Kerala High Court, and K. Sudhakaran is expected to cooperate with the required investigation without influencing or intimidating the witnesses in the following case.
The order came on the anticipatory bail plea filed by Sudhakaran, who was asked to appear before the Crime Branch, which is probing the cheating case. The Crime Branch had decided to interrogate the KPCC president on the basis of a statement by complainants who lost their money in the cheating case, claiming they had handed over money to Mavunkal in the presence of Sudhakaran, as reported by the Hindustan Times.
