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Kerala top police officer suspended over ‘role’ in Mavunkal cheating case
Lakshman, who was arrested by the Crime Branch of the Kerala police in August on charges of conspiracy, cheating and forgery, is out on anticipatory bail approved by the Kerala high court
KOCHI: A top police officer was suspended by the Kerala government on Friday for alleged involvement in a cheating case connected to fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.
Gugulloth Lakshman, inspector general of police (training), was placed under suspension under Rule 3 (1) of All India Service (Discipline and Appeal Rules), 1969 with immediate effect for causing “disgrace to the police force and disruption of discipline”. This is the second time that the IPS officer has been suspended.
Lakshman, who was arrested by the Crime Branch of the Kerala police in August on charges of conspiracy, cheating and forgery, is out on anticipatory bail approved by the Kerala high court. It’s his recent arrest that is seen to have prompted his suspension from service for the second time.
Mavunkal, a dealer of fake antiquities based in Kochi, had convinced several people that his money to the tune of ₹2.62 lakh crore as part of proceeds from sale of antiques to a royal family in the Gulf was frozen by central government authorities and that he needed funds to clear the procedures to obtain the money. Mavunkal is accused of cheating several persons of ₹10 crore by this way. The Crime Branch case against Lakshman IPS is that he acted as a conspirator in the fraud and helped fabricate a bank account statement to deceive the complainants.
The government order suspending the officer said, “Preliminary inquiry has revealed that Lakshman, IPS, is involved in this crime by conspiring with accused Monson Mavunkal in deceiving the complainant. The complainant has produced two video footages to prove Lakshman’s connivance and involvement in the crime and thus it is evident that the officer had sufficient knowledge in the process of cheating the complainant.”
The state DGP had also recommended to the government that Lakshman be suspended for committing “grave misconduct”.
The Crime Branch had also told the high court earlier that the IPS officer was dodging appearances before the investigating officer by producing inconsistent medical certificates.
Mavunkal was arrested in September 2021 by the Crime Branch in the cheating case. In June this year, a Pocso court in Kochi sentenced him to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl.
