Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to state Congress chief K Sudhakaran facing a Crime Branch probe in a cheating case involving so-called controversial dealer of antiques Monson Mavunkal. 

The court had earlier granted interim relief from arrest to Sudhakaran last week while considering an anticipatory bail plea filed by the state Congress chief; Justice Ziyad Rahman directed the police not to arrest him till June 21, the next date of hearing.

"No coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner till the next posting date. Post the matter on June 21," the court said.

Sudhakaran, who is the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, was recently asked to appear before the Crime Branch which is probing the case. In his anticipatory bail plea, the senior leader stated that he apprehends arrest as he could not turn up before the investigating agency on Wednesday.

The KPCC chief said he had "prearranged meetings and consultations" on Wednesday, the day he was asked to appear before the Crime Branch, and as a result he had submitted a request for another date for his personal appearance.

The Crime Branch had decided to interrogate the KPCC president on the basis of a statement by 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 the 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. Many images of Mavunkal with senior police officers and bureaucrats of the state have surfaced.