Will continue as KPCC chief, file defamation case on Govindan: Sudhakaran

KPCC chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday said he would continue to lead the state Congress unit as desired by the party's senior leadership and high command.

In the wake of his arrest in a cheating case, in which controversial self styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal is the prime accused, Sudhakaran had offered to quit as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

Addressing reporters here today, he said both the party's senior leadership and the high command rejected his offer and said that he should continue in the position.

"Hence, I have decided to abide by their wishes," he said.

After being arrested on Friday, he was released on bail the same day in accordance with orders of the Kerala High Court.

Sudhakaran also said that he would be filing defamation cases against CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan and the Left party's mouthpiece Deshabhimani for the allegations by them against him in connection with a POCSO case in which Mavunkal was sentenced to life in jail.

Govindan, citing a report that appeared in his party's mouthpiece Deshabhimani, had claimed on June 18 that the minor victim in the POCSO 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.

Following Sudhakaran's statement that he would file a defamation case against Govindan, the CPI(M) state secretary told reporters in Delhi that his statement was based on a news report and that he would face it legally.

The KPCC chief also said that he would move a plea seeking quashing of the cheating case against him.

The Crime Branch had on June 23 had questioned the KPCC president on the basis of a statement by the 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 a 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.

Cherthala native Mavunkal, who claims to be in possession of rare and historic antiques, was arrested by the Crime Branch in September 2021.