Kozhikode: Antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, who was arrested and later remanded over a Rs 10 crore cheating case, had used his links with those in the socio-political and bureaucratic circles as a ploy to dupe others, according to the complaints in the case.

The allegations were raised in the complaint given to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by complainants Yakub Purayil, Siddique Purayil, Anoop V Ahamed, Salim Edathil, M T Shameer and Shanimon.

Mavunkal had collected money from the complainants on the pretext of releasing funds which had been frozen by a bank in New Delhi due to alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange and Management Act.

He had collected Rs 10 crore from them, saying that Rs 2.62 lakh crore that was stuck at a bank in New Delhi had to be released. Later, though Monson asked for an additional amount of Rs 25 lakh, they did not pay.

The complainants said that on November 22, 2018, a conciliatory discussion was held in the presence of K Sudhakaran, the current President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and the Member of Parliament representing the Kannur Lok Sabha seat.

Sudhakaran had assured them that he would settle the issues in Delhi.

Monson used to claim that he had close contact with the Kerala Chief Minister's office. He also showed a poster claiming it to be a function in which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan received an award instituted by the Pravasi Malayali Federation with which he was actively involved, in 2019.

They also claimed in the complaint that they once handed over the money to Monson at the house of the then DIG S Surendran.

Surendran and former Assistant Commissioner of Police K Lalji were frequent visitors to Monson's house , the complainants further alleged.

They also alleged that Monson had shown them the photographs in which he shared space with former State Minister Mons Joseph; Hibi Eden, MP; former Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson; and former DGPs Loknath Behra and R Sreelekha.

The Crime Branch has also registered a case and started investigation into the complaint filed by Rajeev, a native of Pala, that he had been cheated by Monson to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore.