T’PURAM/KANNUR: The arrest of fraudster Monson Mavunkal has gifted an unexpected weapon to detractors of state Congress president K Sudhakaran in the party. The photograph of Sudhakaran and KPCC vice-president Laly Vincent in conversation with Monson has flooded social media, prompting Sudhakaran to convene a press conference in Kannur to answer the allegations.
As a photograph of Monson and Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden also surfaced on Monday, Sudhakaran’s detractors decided to take a wait and watch approach as they were not sure whether there were more leaders connected to the fraudster.
Sudhakaran said he knew Monson and had visited the latter’s house five or six times. “I had met him after he posed as a doctor and talked about a treatment. When I visited his house, he had shown me his antique collection and said its cost would run into crores of rupees,” said Sudhakaran.
“It is evident that some dark forces are behind this allegation regarding my involvement, and if anybody doubts that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself and his office are behind it, they could not be blamed,” said Sudhakaran. “As per the complaint, it is said that they had discussed the matter with MP Sudhakaran in 2018. I was not an MP in 2018,” he said.
Sudhakaran also said the day he had mentioned in the complaint when the discussion took place is November 22.
“I was attending Congress leader M I Shanavas’ funeral that day,” he said. MP Hibi Eden said he had met the controversial businessman only once when the organisers of the World Malayali Federation urged him to accompany them to his house at Kaloor. Laly Vincent said she had represented the controversial businessman as a lawyer in a vehicle in 1999 or 2000. “But after winning the case, I had never heard from Monson Mavunkal, said Laly.