A senior police officer in Kerala has filed a petition with the High Court to dismiss an FIR lodged against him in a cheating case. He alleges that an unofficial authority within the Chief Minister’s Office is involved in financial dealings in the state.
Inspector General of Police, G. Lakshman, moved the Kerala High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR related to a case involving Monson Mavunkal, a controversial antique dealer who was recently convicted of rape. Lakshman claims that he was falsely accused without any substantial evidence.
Furthermore, the senior officer asserts that an “extra-constitutional authority” operates in the Chief Minister’s Office, handling financial disputes and acting as a mediator. This entity allegedly influences the actions of the investigating officer in the Monson Mavunkal case, engaging in illicit activities.
Lakshman is accused of various offenses under Sections 468 (forgery) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He points out that his name was not initially involved in the case or in the petitions filed by the victims to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He claims that he was only added as the third accused after 22 months from the date of crime registration, without any incriminating evidence, which he considers an abuse of the legal process.
The case against Monson Mavunkal revolves around allegations of cheating several people out of Rs 10 crore with promises of rare and historic antiques. The complaint against him was forwarded to the district crime branch from the Chief Minister’s Office after six victims approached the Chief Minister seeking action.
Mavunkal was arrested in September 2021, and upon his arrest, images of him with KPCC chief K Sudhakaran, senior IPS officials, top bureaucrats, and others were widely broadcasted in the media.
In addition to the cheating case, Mavunkal was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the repeated rape of a minor girl several years ago.
