Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran on Friday appeared before the Crime Branch wing of the police for questioning in connection with the agency's probe in a cheating case in which the prime accused is controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.
Prior to leaving for the Crime Branch office here, Sudhakaran told reporters that his "conscience is clear" and he has "not committed any wrong or illegality" and therefore, he does not need to fear anyone or anything.
"No matter what statement they (Crime Branch) have, as long as my conscience is clear I do not need to fear anything. Whatever be the evidence they have, let it come. I will face it.
"I know what I did and didn't do. My conscience tells me I have done no wrong. I have not misused anyone. I have not accepted bribes from anyone. In my life and politics, I am a politician who has never accepted a bribe. It is political ethics. Therefore, I do not need to fear anyone," the KPCC chief said.
On being asked whether he apprehends arrest, Sudhakaran said he does not.
"If they want to arrest me, let them. I am not afraid of that. I have bail," he said.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan told reporters in Delhi that his remarks against Sudhakaran in connection with a POCSO case were based on a news report and he was sticking to his stand until new evidence came to the contrary.
"Let it be investigated, that is what I had said," he said.
Govindan, citing a report that appeared in his party's mouthpiece Deshabhimani, had claimed on June 18 that the minor victim in the rape case told the Crime Branch that Sudhakaran was present at one of the locations where she was raped by Mavunkal, and therefore the special wing might question the KPCC leader.
However, hours later on the same day, in a setback for the CPI(M), the Crime Branch wing of Kerala police said no such statement was ever made by the victim.
Mavunkal was on June 17 sentenced to life term in prison for rape of the minor victim who was the daughter of his maid.
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday, while asking Sudhakaran to appear before the Crime Branch on June 23, had said that in the event he is arrested in the cheating case, he shall be released on bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the like amount.
"This order shall be in force for two weeks," the court had said.
It had also directed the KPCC chief to cooperate with the investigation and not to attempt to intimidate or influence witnesses in the case.
The order came on the anticipatory bail plea filed by Sudhakaran who was recently asked to appear before the Crime Branch, which is probing the cheating case.
He was initially asked to appear on June 14, but he did not on that date citing "prearranged meetings and consultations" and requested for another date.
Subsequently, June 23 was fixed for his appearance.
The Crime Branch had decided to interrogate the KPCC president on the basis of a statement by complainants, who lost their money in the cheating case, claiming they had handed over money to Mavunkal in the presence of Sudhakaran.
Earlier, the agency had submitted an additional report before the court here, arraigning Sudhakaran as an accused in the case.
When the allegations cropped up against him two years ago, Sudhakaran denied them.
The issue had snowballed into a political controversy as images of Mavunkal, along with Sudhakaran, emerged. Sudhakaran had said he had gone to Mavunkal's residence for treatment, as the latter claimed to be a trained cosmetologist.
Mavunkal had allegedly made false representations about himself and his business to various people and collected money from them.
Many images of Mavunkal with senior police officers and bureaucrats of the state have surfaced.
Cherthala native Mavunkal, who claims to be in possession of rare and historic antiques, was arrested by the Crime Branch in September 2021.
He is facing charges of having swindled Rs 10 crore from several people.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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