Inspector General (IG) of Police G. Lakshman, an accused in the financial fraud case involving fake antiquities dealer Monson Mavunkal, was arrested by the Crime Branch (CB) after seven hours of interrogation on Wednesday. He was later released on bail. The Kerala High Court had earlier granted him interim bail whereby the CB was directed that he be released on bail if arrested.
Mr. Lakshman turned up for questioning at the CB office at Kalamassery around 11.30 a.m. He had failed to appear before the investigation agency twice in the past.
This had prompted the CB to petition the court that the officer had taken hasty steps to dodge questioning by the police in the case despite the interim bail granted by the court. The investigation agency had submitted before the court that there was material evidence to connect the petitioner with the crime.
The CB had further accused the officer of avoiding appearance before the investigation officer and told the court that there was reasonable grounds to suspect that he had managed to secure two inconsistent medical certificates by using his post as an IPS officer and IG of Police.
The CB had informed the State Police Chief and the court that there would be no progress in the case unless Mr. Lakshman was arrested and questioned.
The CB had also arrested Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran and former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) S. Surendran in the case. They were also released on bail immediately.
The officer had courted controversy after he had levelled allegations against the Chief Minister’s office in a plea he had moved in the High Court seeking to quash charges against him in the cheating case. However, in a volte-face shortly thereafter, he withdrew the plea containing the allegations and filed a fresh plea.
