KOCHI: Inspector General (IG) G Lakshman on Wednesday appeared before the Crime Branch for interrogation in the cheating case associated with antique conman Monson Mavunkal. After an 8-hour-long grilling, the Crime Branch team recorded the senior IPS officer’s arrest. However, he was granted bail on a surety of Rs 50,000.
It was following the direction of the Kerala High Court that the senior police officer turned up before the investigation team. Lakshman was questioned by a Crime Branch team led by DySP Y R Restem. Lakshman reached the Crime Branch office in Kochi around 11 AM. Earlier, the officer skipped the interrogation citing health issues even after the Crime Branch served notice for the purpose twice.
Later, the investigation team approached the High Court to revoke the interim bail granted to the IPS officer. The court granted time till Thursday to Lakshman to appear for the interrogation. The court will consider the Crime Branch petition again this week. Crime Branch maintains that Lakshman is the key conspirator in the case. Earlier, Lakshman, along with state Congress president K Sudhakaran and former DIG S Surendran, was arraigned as accused in the case.
Monson swindled Rs 20 crore from six businessmen claiming that he was about to receive around Rs 2.62 lakh crore from abroad. ED is probing the money laundering aspect behind the cheating and recently questioned Sudhakaran in Kochi.