K. Sudhakaran, the president of the Kerala unit of the Congress party, was arrested and later released on bail in a cheating case involving a fake antique dealer. The arrest took place after a lengthy seven-hour interrogation by the police crime branch in Kochi.
Sudhakaran, aged 75, was named as the second accused in the case, accused of accepting Rs 10 lakh from Monson Mavunkal, the fake antique dealer who has been in judicial custody since September 2021 for allegedly defrauding people of Rs 10 crore.
The Kerala High Court, through Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A., had granted Sudhakaran pre-arrest bail prior to the arrest, and he was released on bail shortly thereafter.
In response to the arrest, the Congress party has announced a statewide agitation to protest what they perceive as a “witch hunt” against their Kerala president.
“I am fully confident that there is nothing in this case to punish me,” Sudhakaran told reporters after being released on bail. “I am a man who has complete faith in the judiciary. So let the court evaluate the merits and demerits of the case.”
Sudhakaran expressed his confidence in his innocence, stating that he believes there is no basis for punishment in this case. He emphasized his faith in the judiciary and expressed his willingness to let the court assess the strengths and weaknesses of the case.
Sudhakaran, who is also a Lok Sabha member, claimed that he knew Mavunkal only as a “doctor” whom he had consulted for a skin condition. It was only later revealed that Mavunkal was involved in the “antique” business and turned out to be a fraudster.
