E-Paper
ED serves notice to Kerala Cong chief in Mavunkal cheating case
The complainants had alleged that Sudhakaran was present in the room when they handed over ₹25 lakh to Mavunkal at the latter’s house in Kaloor, Kochi
KOCHI: Kerala Congress unit chief K Sudhakaran has been served a notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it for interrogation in connection with a cheating case in which alleged fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal is the prime accused, people aware of the matter said.
Sudhakaran has to appear before the agency on August 18 in Kochi.
The case dates back to September 23, 2021 when six persons filed a police complaint alleging that Mavunkal cheated them of ₹10 crore. The complainants had alleged that Sudhakaran was present in the room when they handed over ₹25 lakh to Mavunkal at the latter’s house in Kaloor, Kochi. Subsequently, photos of Sudhakaran and Mavunkal appeared on social media.
Sudhakaran has claimed that he is innocent and that he visited Mavunkal for treatment as the latter had claimed to be a cosmetologist.
On June 24, Sudhakaran, the Lok Sabha MP from Kannur, was arrested by the crime branch under sections 420, 120 (B) and 34 of the IPC after being arraigned as the second accused in the case. He was let off on bail granted by the Kerala high court.
The ED had registered a money laundering case against Mavunkal based on the crime branch FIR in 2022.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Sunday termed the ED notice to Sudhakaran a mode of persecution. “ED, CBI, IT have all become part of the weapons department of the BJP. Let him be called. We don’t fear the law,” he said.
