Kochi: The Crime Branch team probing the frauds committed by fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal have found that two police officers had received money from the conman.
A preliminary probe by the Crime Branch have found that Kochi Metro Circle Inspector Ananth Lal and Meppady Sub Inspector Vipin had received Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1,70,000 respectively from Mavunkal.
The money was transferred from the bank account of Mavunkal's aide Joshy who is an accused in a POCSO case.
The police officers have reportedly claimed that they took the money from the trickster as loan.
Following the preliminary investigation, the state police have decided to launch a department probe into the matter.
The case has caused a huge embarassment to the police force after an IG-level officer, G Lekshmana, was suspended for his alleged close links with Mavunkal.
When the case first surfaced in September last year, pictures of then state police chief, Loknath Behra, and serving ADGP, Manoj Abraham, visiting a 'museum' of Mavunkal at Kochi had gone viral.
The Kerala High Court, during the hearing of a case relating to Mavunkal, had wondered why the top police officers were not sceptical about the so-called museum. The court had also questioned the the police's decision to set up a daily beat box near Mavunkal's house and the museum.
Mavunkal (54) used to take all his high-profile guests into his fold by showcasing antiques in his collection which he claimed included the 'staff of Moses' and 'two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ'.
Mavunkal used to invite several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into a museum to house his 'precious' antiques. Mavunkal is presently under judicial custody.
