KOCHI: The High Court of Kerala on Thursday, July 14,  dismissed two bail pleas of fraudster Monson Mavunkal after the state government's counsel strongly opposed the same.

The now arrested fake antique dealer's bail pleas with regard to the two cases -- one in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) case and the other in a rape case.

The state's attorney said that because both cases have charge sheets and the trial is about to begin, bail should not be granted.

Mavunkal (54), who displayed antiques from his collection and claimed they contained the "staff of Moses" and "two of the 30 silver coins that were seized by Judas to defraud Jesus Christ," won over all of his notable guests.

The police authorities said that, he had showcased  a number of "rare" items, including a throne allegedly used by Tipu Sultan, a sizable collection of ancient Qurans and Bibles, and handwritten copies of the Bhagavad Gita.

Mavunkal used to host various several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into a museum to house his 'precious' antiques. He is currently in the custody of the court.

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