Kochi, Nov 7 (IANS) A theft has been reported from the rented residence of Monson Mavunkal, the prime accused in the multi-crore antique fraud case, at Kaloor in Kochi. The incident came to light when Mavunkal, currently out on parole, visited the house after obtaining court permission to retrieve belongings stored there.

Police said the property, which remains under the custody of the Kerala Police, was the same house where Mavunkal allegedly kept artefacts he had showcased to investors as rare antiques to defraud them of several crores of rupees.

According to his lawyer, valuables worth around Rs 20 crore have gone missing.

The theft is believed to have occurred within the past two weeks.

Preliminary findings suggest that the CCTV cameras installed at the premises had been dismantled prior to the incident.

Investigators suspect the culprits may have used duplicate keys to enter the house, indicating the possible involvement of someone familiar with the property.

The house owners have lodged a complaint with the police, and Mavunkal’s lawyer said his client will also file a separate complaint.

Police teams conducted an inspection of the residence on Friday in the presence of Mavunkal.

The Kerala Police confirmed that a similar incident had occurred at the same house in March last year, shortly after police protection at the premises was withdrawn following the filing of the initial chargesheet in the fraud case.

At that time, 15 valuable items were reported missing, though police clarified none were antique pieces.

Mavunkal, arrested in 2021, is accused of swindling several people by displaying fake artefacts and claiming they were centuries-old antiques of immense historical value.

He reportedly convinced high-profile guests of his credibility by exhibiting artefacts he claimed included the “staff of Moses” and “two of the 30 silver coins that Judas received for betraying Jesus Christ.”

Police said he also displayed a throne said to have belonged to Tipu Sultan, along with a vast collection of old Qurans, Bibles, and handwritten copies of the Bhagavad Gita.

Mavunkal frequently hosted VIPs at his palatial residence, part of which was converted into a museum showcasing his so-called “precious” antiques.

–IANS

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