Valuables worth ₹20 cr stolen from Monson Mavunkal’s Kochi house

Kochi: A major burglary has been reported at the house of fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, who is facing multiple cases, including fraud and sexual assault. According to the police, the burglary took place at his rented residence in Kaloor.

 Monson will file a separate complaint through the jail superintendent, said his lawyer, MG Sreejith. He claimed that valuables worth ₹20 cr were stolen.

“Expensive idols, gold-clad Holy Quran, Holy Bible, and several antique pieces are found missing. Monson has estimated the total loss at ₹20 crore. We are cross-checking the value based on the audit conducted two weeks ago,” said the lawyer.

The house, which resembles a palace, was seized by the Crime Branch following Monson’s arrest. It was later handed over to the owners based in Kottayam, though Monson’s antique collection was not removed.

The theft came to light when Monson visited the house after obtaining parole. Preliminary reports suggest the burglars broke open a door to gain entry. CCTV cameras at the property were found to be non-functional at the time of the incident.

Monson had raised a similar complaint last year and subsequently approached the court seeking custody of his valuables.

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similar incident had occurred at the same house in March last year, shortly after police protection at the premises was withdrawn following the filing of the initial chargesheet in the fraud case, reported IANS. 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.