Kochi: Antique dealer, Monson Mavunkal, who was arrested by the crime branch recently for allegedly swindling Rs ten crore from several people, has landed in fresh trouble after a rape survivor on Tuesday alleged he had threatened her to withdraw the case.

Speaking to Manorama News, she claimed that Mavunkal had asked her to withdraw the rape case filed by her against his family friend, and if she did not, he will release her inappropriate pictures clicked by the friend.

The woman alleged that Monson threatened her of trapping in a fake case unless she withdraw her complaint against his business partner's son Sarath, an Alappuzha native.

"We complained to the police against him after his threat.... when officials in the Thevara police started taking action on my complaint, Mavunkal using his clout in the force managed to transfer them," she told the media.

The woman alleged that Monson had directly contacted her father for the accused and blackmailed them by sending goons to their house.

The woman's allegations came against the background of media reporting about Mavunkal's close association with top police officials and bureaucrats.

When contacted, Thevara police said they are not aware of such a case and said they will respond after examining the case register.

The arrest of Mavunkal became a political issue in the state, after he was picked up by the Crime Branch wing of the Kerala police from his residence in Cherthala in Alappuzha district recently on the basis of complaints by different people.

Mavunkal had allegedly 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.

In their complaints, the victims claimed that they lost Rs 10 crore in their dealings with Mavunkal, who allegedly earned their trust using his "high profile" contacts, including senior politicians like state Congress chief K Sudhakaran, top IPS officers and bureaucrats. Sudhakaran has denied all the allegations.