Kerala High Court grants anticipatory bail to Congress MP K Sudhakaran in cheating case

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted interim anticipatory bail for a period of two weeks to Member of Parliament (MP) and President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, K Sudhkaran in a 2021 cheating case involving notorious fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal [K Sudhakaran v Sate of Kerala & Anr.]..Justice Ziyad Rahman AA said that in case of his arrest, Sudhakaran is to be released on bail on executing a bond of ₹50,000.Sudhakaran has to appear before the Crime Branch for investigation on June 23, the Court added. "I am passing an interim order, particularly taking note of the fact that the petitioner is issued with a notice under section 41A of CrPC directing him to appear before the investigation officer on June 23. Accordingly, it is ordered that the petitioner shall appear before the investigation officer in compliance with the notice under section 41 A, and in the event of arrest he shall be released on bail on the execution of a bond of Rs 50,000 in the satisfaction of the investigation officer. The petitioner shall cooperate with the investigation officer and shall not make any attempt to intimidate the witnesses. Interim order shall be imposed for a period of two weeks," the order said..The order was passed after Sudhkaran moved the Court contending that there was no allegation against him in the First Information Report (FIR) which was registered by the police in 2021 based on a complaint received in 2018.The offences alleged against him are punishable under Sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471(fraudulently using a document as genuine while believing it is forged) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).Nineteen months after registering the case, he was recently issued a notice under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and asked to appear before the Crime Branch on suspicion that he is allegedly involved in the crime, he stated.The plea claimed that the issuance of notice to him almost two years later is a ploy to drag him into the controversy and tarnish his social image which he developed after having served many years as a public servant.He also argued that custodial interrogation was unnecessary as there is no substance in the allegation and no culpable element is made out against him.He said he would cooperate with the investigation and would not flee from justice.