Accused of defrauding people on pretext of selling 'antique' items, Kerala's Monson Mavunkal, has been sent to judicial custody till 9 October. Most of these items, according to probe, were made by local artists.
Mavunkal was arrested on September 25 by Kerala Police's Crime Branch after complaints of swindling Rs 10 crore from several people were filed against him.
While Mavunkal was running an archaeological centre in Kochi, he also claimed to be in possession of some unique and antique artifacts, including diamonds.
In a larger-than-life portrayal of himself, Monson has a photogallery on his website where he can be seen posing with women, imitating film stills. He is said to have 'cosy relationship' with senior police officers.
Monson's antique collection gained legitimacy after several publications, including Deepika, traditionally owned by the Catholic church, but now a public limited company, and several television channels carried reports.