HC refuses to suspend life sentence of fraudster Monson Mavunkal
The Kerala High Court refused to suspend Monson Mavunkal’s life imprisonment sentence passed by a trial court in the sexual assault case of a minor. A bench of justices PB Suresh Kumar and S Manu was hearing a plea filed by Mavunkal seeking to suspend the execution of life sentence passed by the Ernakulam district special court that deals with cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in June 2023. He was found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2021. The court said that life sentences can be suspended only in exceptional cases and observed that the “heinous nature of the offence allegedly committed by the petitioner/accused cannot be ignored". Counsel of the petitioner refuted the allegations and alleged that the survivor’s case was fabricated and that the evidence was “shaky and shabby”. It was also argued that the case was based on the survivor’s evidence, and claimed that it was not credible and there is no corroboration. The court, however, pointed out the Supreme Court’s judgement that “the evidence of the victim of a sexual assault can be the sole basis of a conviction provided such evidence shall be of a sterling quality.” Observing that the court does not find the survivor’s statements unreliable and misleading as argued by Mavunkal’s counsel, the court dismissed his plea. In June 2023, Kochi-based fraudster Monson Mavunkal was sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor girl. He was booked in the case in 2021 based on a complaint filed by the daughter of a staff member at Monson's cosmetic centre. She was 17 years old at the time of the assault and alleged that Monson sexually assaulted her several times since 2019 and impregnated her, after promising to help her get admission in college. Mavunkal had claimed that he was a physician and treated several people for skin ailments. He also had several antique items in his possession and cheated many people. He had claimed to possess items such as the "staff of Moses" and "two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ," and had a museum of his own in which he displayed a throne attributed to Tipu Sultan and a vast collection of old Qurans, Bibles, and handwritten copies of the Bhagavad Gita. All of this came out after he was arrested in 2021. After he was arrested, images of influential individuals, including Additional Director General of Police Manoj Abraham, politicians, actors, and other celebrities visiting Monson's museum went viral.Read: Who is Monson Mavunkal? The ‘antique’ dealer whose arrest has hooked Kerala
THE Kerala High Court refused to suspend Monson Mavunkal’s life imprisonment sentence passed by a trial court in the sexual assault case of a minor.
A bench of justices PB Suresh Kumar and S Manu was hearing a plea filed by Mavunkal seeking to suspend the execution of life sentence passed by the Ernakulam district special court that deals with cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in June 2023. He was found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2021.
The court said that life sentences can be suspended only in exceptional cases and observed that the “heinous nature of the offence allegedly committed by the petitioner/accused cannot be ignored".
The counsel of the petitioner refuted the allegations and alleged that the survivor’s case was fabricated and that the evidence was “shaky and shabby”. It was also argued that the case was based on the survivor’s evidence and claimed that it was not credible and there is no corroboration.
The court, however, pointed out the Supreme Court’s judgement that “the evidence of the victim of a sexual assault can be the sole basis of a conviction provided such evidence shall be of a sterling quality.” Observing that the court does not find the survivor’s statements unreliable and misleading as argued by Mavunkal’s counsel, the court dismissed his plea.
In June 2023, Kochi-based fraudster Monson Mavunkal was sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor girl. He was booked in the case in 2021 based on a complaint filed by the daughter of a staff member at Monson's cosmetic centre. She was 17 years old at the time of the assault and alleged that Monson sexually assaulted her several times since 2019 and impregnated her, after promising to help her get college admission.
Mavunkal had claimed that he was a physician and treated several people for skin ailments. He also had several antique items in his possession and cheated many people.
He had claimed to possess items such as the "staff of Moses" and "two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ," and had a museum of his own in which he displayed a throne attributed to Tipu Sultan and a vast collection of old Qurans, Bibles, and handwritten copies of the Bhagavad Gita. All of this came out after he was arrested in 2021.
After he was arrested, images of influential individuals, including Additional Director General of Police Manoj Abraham, politicians, actors and other celebrities visiting Monson's museum went viral.
Read: Who is Monson Mavunkal? The ‘antique’ dealer whose arrest has hooked Kerala
