Thiruvananthapuram | A senior Kerala police officer, who levelled a serious allegation against the state government in a plea filed in the High Court last week, has claimed that it was done without his knowledge and hence, he has decided to withdraw it.

In his plea filed in the High court on Saturday, Inspector General of Police G Lakshman had claimed that an "extra-constitutional authority" in the Chief Minister's Office was mediating financial dealings in the state, kicking up a row in the southern state.

Thereafter, Lakshman wrote a letter to Chief Secretary V Venu on Monday, two days after the controversy erupted in the state, claiming he was on medical leave and had not seen the copy of the case filed by his lawyer in the High Court.

The controversial allegations were made in his plea seeking to quash the FIR registered against him in a cheating case connected to controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, who was convicted in a rape case recently.

Lakshman, in his letter, has also said that he moved the High Court after he received a notice from the crime branch probing the case seeking his personal appearance on July 31 at its office in Ernakulam.

"The advocate has filed the criminal MC in this regard recently. I am on medical leave and taking Ayurveda treatment. I have not seen the copy of the Criminal Miscellaneous case filed by the Advocate so far," the officer said in the letter.

It further said he had come to know from the media that the

memorandum filed by his lawyer in the Criminal Miscellaneous case before the Kerala high court in this regard had some references against the Kerala government.

He said that he has given instructions to his lawyer to withdraw the case which is filed in the high court in this regard.

In his plea, the senior police officer had claimed that he was arrayed as an accused without any incriminating evidence.

"Even the disputes sent by the Hon'ble court to various arbitrators were resolved by that authority. That invisible hand and extra-constitutional brain is operating behind the curtain and commanding the second respondent (investigating officer in Monson Mavunkal case) for doing this kind of illegal activities," the plea had said.

The IG is an accused in various offences punishable under Sections 468 (forgery) and 420 (cheating) among other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Lakshman has rejected the allegations, claiming that his name was not there in the initial case or the petitions filed before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by the victims in the case.

Monson Mavunkal, who claims to be in possession of rare and historic antiques, was arrested in September 2021 by the district crime branch, which has been probing a case against him of cheating several people of Rs 10 crore.

As soon as he was arrested, photos of the accused with KPCC chief K Sudhakaran, senior IPS officials, top bureaucrats, and many others were telecast in the mainstream media.

The complaint against Mavunkal was forwarded to the Ernakulam District Crime Branch from the Chief Minister's Office after six victims approached the Chief Minister.

Mavunkal had apparently borrowed the amount from various people, saying he was in need of funds to "clear procedures to obtain Rs 2,65,000 crore, a massive amount from his account in a foreign bank".

The antique dealer was recently sentenced to life imprisonment till the end of his natural life for repeatedly raping a minor girl a few years ago.