Kerala High Court has granted interim protection to Member of Parliament and President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, K Sudhakaran, in a high-profile cheating case. The case involves the notorious fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, and Sudhakaran was asked to appear before the Crime Branch for questioning.

Justice Ziyad Rahman AA, presiding over the case, directed the counsel for the police officials to seek instructions and ordered that no coercive action should be taken against Sudhakaran until the next hearing scheduled for June 21.

Sudhakaran had filed an anticipatory bail application, arguing that there were no specific allegations against him in the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police in 2021, based on a complaint received in 2018.

The charges leveled against Sudhakaran fall under Sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (fraudulently using a forged document as genuine), and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Claiming that the notice issued to him after a gap of 19 months was an attempt to drag him into the controversy and tarnish his social image, Sudhakaran expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation. He emphasized that custodial interrogation was unnecessary as there was no substance to the allegations and no evidence of his involvement in the crime.

Sudhakaran also cited prior commitments and prearranged meetings as reasons for being unable to appear on the scheduled day, requesting an alternative date for his personal appearance.

The interim protection granted by the Kerala High Court to K Sudhakaran has garnered significant attention, further fueling the controversy surrounding the cheating case involving fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal. As the President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and a Member of Parliament, Sudhakaran's involvement in such a case has generated widespread interest. The court's decision to provide interim relief to Sudhakaran until the next hearing on June 21 has heightened anticipation regarding the future proceedings of the case.