The Congress party in Kerala marked a black day on Saturday and staged protests across the state in response to the arrest of K Sudhakaran, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief, in a cheating case. Sudhakaran, a prominent leader from Kannur, was apprehended by the Crime Branch wing of the Kerala Police on Friday, with the prime accused in the case being the controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.
Hundreds of party workers participated in protest marches conducted in various towns throughout Kerala, with notable demonstrations taking place in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kasaragod, and Pathanamthitta districts. In Thiruvananthapuram, the Mahila Congress marched towards the state secretariat, while a substantial number of party workers joined the march held in Kochi.
The Congress had previously declared June 24 as a black day to express their dissent against Sudhakaran’s arrest, which occurred following a seven-hour interrogation by the Crime Branch. Sudhakaran was subsequently released on bail.
Addressing reporters after his release, Sudhakaran expressed confidence in the judicial system, stating, “I have faith in the judiciary. I will face the case in court.”
The Kerala High Court had directed Sudhakaran to appear before the Crime Branch on June 23 and specified that if he were to be arrested in the cheating case, he would be granted bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the same amount.
The decision to interrogate the KPCC president was based on statements from complainants who claimed to have handed over money to Mavunkal in the presence of Sudhakaran, resulting in financial losses. Sudhakaran had denied the allegations when they first emerged two years ago.
The controversy surrounding Sudhakaran escalated as images of him alongside Mavunkal surfaced. Sudhakaran explained that he had visited Mavunkal’s residence for treatment, as Mavunkal purported to be a trained cosmetologist.
Mavunkal, a resident of Cherthala, claimed to possess rare and historic antiques and was arrested by the Crime Branch in September 2021. He is facing charges of swindling Rs 10 crore from multiple individuals. Recently, he was sentenced to multiple life imprisonments in a separate rape case involving a minor girl.
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