Fraudster Monson Mavunkal gets life term for sexually assaulting minor girl in Kerala
Monson Mavunkal, a fake antique dealer who was arrested in Kerala nearly two years ago for allegedly duping many people, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Saturday, June 17, after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl. The judgement was issued by the Ernakulam district special court that deals with cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was booked in the case in 2021 based on a complaint filed by the daughter of a staff member at Monson's cosmetic centre. The girl, who was 17 years old at the time, had alleged that Monson had sexually assaulted her several times since 2019 and impregnated her, after promising to help her get admission in college.
According to the police, the accused had abused the survivor many times at his rented house in Kaloor, Ernakulam. The survivor’s family filed the complaint after he was arrested in the cheating case. The police said the family was scared to lodge a complaint earlier because they assumed that Monson had close connections with influential people.
In September 2021, Monson hogged the headlines after a person who was allegedly cheated by him, to the tune of Rs 10 crore, approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, eventually leading to the swindler's arrest. Monson used to bring several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into a museum to house his ‘precious’ antiques, which he claimed included the “staff of Moses” and “two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ”. The police said he also displayed a throne said to be used by Tipu Sultan, as well as a huge collection of old Qurans, Bibles (Old Testament and New Testament), and old handwritten copies of the Bhagavad Gita.
When the case first surfaced, pictures of many influential people, including former Director General of Police Loknath Behera, Additional Director General of Police Manoj Abraham, political leaders, actors, and many other celebrities visiting Monson’s ‘museum’ in Kochi went viral. As the matter went before the court, it asked how these top police officials never wondered how a museum like this can function without following the rules. It also sought to know why the police set up a daily beatbox at his house and the museum.
(With IANS inputs)