KOCHI: The state police chief on Thursday informed the Kerala High Court that the visit of Lokanath Behra, former DGP and the Managing Director of Kochi Metro, to the house of alleged fraudster and self-styled antiquities dealer Monson Mavunkal was an 'unscheduled visit'. The statements of Behra and other departmental officers have been recorded. "The visit was not at all done with an intention to give any undue mileage to Monson in society or to boost his image in public," stated the affidavit filed by state police chief Anil Kant.
The affidavit was filed in response to a petition filed by EV Ajith, former driver of Monson, seeking police protection. The court had asked the state police chief to file an affidavit explaining the progress of the probe in the allegation including Monson's nexus with senior police officers.
The affidavit stated that it was revealed from the statement of Behra that they had visited the house of Monson on May 11, 2019, which was an unscheduled visit. "The officers happened to be in Ernakulam to attend the marriage of Sujith Das, the present district police chief, Malappuram, on that date. The visit was purely out of interest to have a look at those items claimed to be of historical importance and artistic value. No intelligence report or information was available then about the dubious nature of the articles in the house," stated in the affidavit.
The Additional Director General of Police (HQ) Manoj Abraham accompanied the former state police chief as requested by Behra. Moreover, Monson was projected in social media and also in the public as a doctor and philanthropist. "Soon after the short and casual visit the ADGP raised suspicion regarding the items displayed in the house and also about the antecedents of Monson, this was put on paper as a source report and sent to the intelligence department for verification," stated the affidavit.
An explanation was called from Inspector General Gugulloth Lakshmanan with regard to the allegation that he tried to transfer a case in connection with Monson. With regard to the High Court's observation about how and why no suspicion was raised against Monson until now, even though his house was under police protection, the state police chief informed that after the visit of Behra and Manoj Abraham, the officers had developed a suspicion on the genuineness of the articles and regarding the antecedents of Monson. Later, the state police chief ordered a detailed inquiry based on the letter sent by Manoj Abraham on May 22 2019. The ADGP Intelligence conducted an inquiry stating that the possession of various articles and luxury cars by Monson is highly suspicious, especially with regard to the source of income and recommended a comprehensive inquiry preferably by the Enforcement Directorate. The then state police chief also sent a letter requesting to conduct an inquiry.
Regarding police protection to Monson, the state police chief clarified that no separate police pickets or physical surveillance of permanent nature were given to Monson's house except a routine patrol through the area. The Ernakulam town north police arranged a 'Point Book' in front of Monson's house at Kaloor, in order to facilitate the police patrols to put their signature in the book, when they pass through that area. "This is a usual mechanism of police surveillance," stated the police chief.
Monson was arrested from his house on the day of the engagement of his daughter. After the arrest of the accused, six new criminal cases including offences under the POCSO Act were registered against him and a comprehensive investigation is going on in all those cases.