Kochi: In a major turning point in the fraud case against fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, the complainants have demanded a CBI probe into the case after raising serious allegations against the probe team. Yakoob, one of the complainants alleged that Crime Branch DySp Y R Rustom swindled money from them for his foreign trips. 

" I hold all digital evidence to prove the charges against Rustom. He used to message me seeking money. I transferred funds to bank accounts given by him," Yakoob claimed.

The complainants raised the charges against the DySp in their complaint before vigilance. Yakoob alleged that the Crime Branch framed Sudhakaran and IG Lakshmana in the case.

“ The probe team booked Sudhakaran and Lakshmana in the case. We never mentioned Lakshmana's name in our complaint. The crime branch is probing the case with vested interests. They are framing people who are not involved in the fraud,” said Yakoob. 

Expressing dissatisfaction over the crime branch probe, the complainants claimed that the real culprits would have an easy walkover in the case.DySP Rustom rubbished the allegations against him and opened up about the hawala transactions between Yakoob and Monson. 

“ During the probe, Yakoob claimed that he handed over Rs 10 cr to Monson. But the bank records show transactions of nearly Rs 3 crore. The rest of the amount was given as black money. I will definitely add this to my report. Yakoob had requested me to hide this matter. The complainants claim that I recieved money from them in 2022. But I took charge of the probe only in September 2023,” said the DySP.

He alleged that Yakoob and another complaiant had tried to settle the POCSO case against Monson by offering money to the victim's brother. 

Earlier in March, the Crime branch in its charge-sheet, submitted before the Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court here accused Sudhakaran of receiving Rs 10 lakh from Mavunkal and slapped charges including conspiracy against him in the case. The probe team claimed that they slapped the charges against the KPCC chief based on the statements of the complainants. But now, the complainants have turned against the probe team.

Cherthala native Mavunkal, who claimed he possessed rare and historic antiques, was arrested by the Crime Branch in September 2021. He is facing charges of having swindled Rs 10 crore from several people.