Senior cop files petition in Kerala HC to get FIR against him in Mavunkal cheating case dismissed

Kochi: An FIR filed against a senior Kerala police officer in a case of cheating has been challenged in court by the officer, who claims an "extra-constitutional authority" in the Chief Minister's Office is mediating financial transactions in the state.

On Saturday, Inspector General of Police G Lakshman filed a request with the Kerala High Court to have the FIR filed against him in a fraud case involving infamous antique merchant Monson Mavunkal, who was recently found guilty of rape, quashed.

In his plea, the senior police officer claimed that he was arrayed as an accused without any incriminating evidence.

Lakshman also claimed that there was an “extra-constitutional authority” functioning in the Chief Minister’s Office who deals with compromising, mediating and arbitrating some of the financial dealings in Kerala.

“Even the disputes sent by the Hon’ble court to various arbitrators were resolved by that authority. That invisible hand and extra-constitutional brain is operating behind the curtain and commanding the second respondent (investigating officer in Monson Mavunkal case) for doing this kind of illegal activities,” the plea said.

The IG is an accused in various offences punishable under Sections 468 (forgery) and 420 (cheating) among other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Lakshman claimed that his name was not there in the initial case or the petitions filed before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by the victims in the case.

He added that the crime was registered on September 23, 2021, and he was implicated as the third accused on June 14, 2023.

“Arraying the petitioner as an accused after 22 months of the registration of the crime without a piece of incriminating material is nothing but abuse of process of law,” Lakshman said.

Monson Mavunkal, who claims to be in possession of rare and historic antiques, was arrested in September 2021 by the district crime branch, which has been probing a case against him of cheating several people of Rs 10 crore.

As soon as he was arrested, photos of the accused with KPCC chief K Sudhakaran, senior IPS officials, top bureaucrats and many others were telecast in the mainstream media.

The complaint against Mavunkal was forwarded to the Ernakulam District Crime Branch from the Chief Minister’s Office after six victims approached the Chief Minister.

Mavunkal had apparently borrowed the amount from various people, saying he was in need of funds to “clear procedures to obtain Rs 2,65,000 crore, a massive amount from his account in a foreign bank”.

The antique dealer was recently sentenced to life imprisonment till the end of his natural life for repeatedly raping a minor girl a few years ago.

With PTI inputs