Kochi: The Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the fake antique cheating case has decided to probe whether the accused Monson Mavunkal smuggled out the money he had collected from the complainants abroad. The complainants suspected that but they could not adduce any evidence to this effect.
The SIT headed by Thiruvananthapuram Range IG Sparjan Kumar was expanded by adding 10 more officers, having a proven track record in crime investigation.
A few officers from the cyber police wing were included in the SIT to conduct a detailed probe into the social media campaigns and phone calls made by Monson. The financial dealings entered into by Monson with his accomplices through digitized mode will also be put under scanner.
A meeting of the SIT held at the Crime Branch office in Tripunithura on Wednesday reviewed the progress in the investigation so far. The meeting, presided over by IG Sparjan Kumar, also decided to interrogate Monson in a scientific manner.
The SIT also recorded the statement of Santhosh Elamakkara who had complained that he was cheated money worth more than Rs 70 lakh by Monson after purchasing various artefacts from him.
YouTube videos missing
Meanwhile, the multilingual YouTube videos giving nationwide publicity to Monson's collection of antiques were found missing from the internet. The police apprehend that using these videos in English and Hindi, Monson might have cheated many people residing outside Kerala. But nobody from other States has made any complaint in this regard.
