Its Kerala Congress unit chief held in cheating case, party slams CM Pinarayi

Sudhakaran was arrested on a day when the Opposition parties, including the Congress and the CPI(M), huddled together in Patna to forge a common front against the BJP for the 2024 polls.

Reacting to the arrest,  Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Rest of the Opposition is on one track nationally, while Pinarayi Vijayan is busy proving what has all along been known—he is Mundu Modi. This unwarranted harassment of Kerala PCC President K. Sudhakaran based on a trumped-up case will only make our resolve stronger in Kerala.”

The arrest of the Congress MP, who represents Kannur  constituency in the Lok Sabha, was recorded at the crime branch office in Kochi, where he was questioned for seven hours. He was arrested for offences under Sections 420, 120 (B) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

Emerging from the crime branch office, Sudhakaran told reporters: “Police do not have evidence to ensure punishment for me. I will not run away. I have confidence. Let the court decide. I am ready to face anything.”

Kerala Congress workers trooped to streets in many parts of the state in protest against the arrest. The state unit had decided to observe black day for the next two days.

Senior Congress legislator and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said the arrest was part of a political conspiracy. “It is a black day in the democratic history of Kerala. Congress and UDF would oppose the move to register cases against the leaders who fight against the CPI(M) government’s corruption. Congress cannot be silenced by registering fabricated cases against its leaders. Pinarayi Vijayan is a carbon copy of (PM Narendra) Modi,’’ he said.

Earlier in the day, the Congress leader turned up before the investigating officer at the crime branch office after he was served a notice under Section 41 A of CrPC. The crime branch, which is probing a 2021 cheating case, had arraigned Sudhakaran as the second accused on June 10. One of the complainants in the Mavunkal cheating case had alleged that he had handed over Rs 25 lakh to the conman in the presence of Sudhakaran. It was alleged that Mavunkal had “parted Rs 10 lakh with Sudhakaran”.

According to police, Mavunkal tricked investors into believing that he had earned Rs 2.62 lakh crore from selling antiques to royal families in the Middle East. He said he was in need of money to “clear legal hurdles” and get the amount transferred to his bank account in Kerala. He had also claimed to his investors that Sudhakaran would intervene to remove the legal obstacles in transferring the money from the Middle East to Kerala, the police said.

Mavunkal, the police said, also pretended to be a cosmetologist and Sudhakaran is one of the politicians who allegedly sought treatment from him.

Sudhakaran never denied his acquaintance with Mavunkal, who was last week sentenced to life term after a POCSO court found him guilty of repeatedly raping a minor girl.