Sessions Court denies pre-arrest bail citing need for custody to probe coercion, videos, and abortion; evidence includes forensic audio and medical records.
KPCC removes Mamkoottathil from primary membership post-verdict; follows suspension, second FIR on December 1 for similar assault claims.
Rape under false promises, blackmail videos, forced abortion via associate
Congress MLA Mamkoottathil’s Anticipatory Bail Rejected In Rape Case
Hours after Thiruvananthapuram court denies pre-arrest bail citing strong evidence of coercion and threats, KPCC expels the suspended Palakkad MLA from primary membership, as police intensify hunt for the absconding leader amid multiple assault complaints ahead of local polls.
Summary
The Thiruvananthapuram Principal District and Sessions Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil in a rape case on Thursday, hours before the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) expelled him from the party's primary membership over the escalating sexual assault allegations. The 35-year-old Palakkad legislator, who won the seat in a November 2024 bypoll and was previously Youth Congress state president, has been absconding since the FIR was registered on November 28, prompting a police lookout circular and raids on his residences.
Judge S. Nazeera, after hearing arguments for nearly an hour on Wednesday and reviewing additional evidence like medico-legal reports, doctors' statements, and preliminary forensic voice analysis of incriminating audio clips, ruled that custodial interrogation was essential to probe the full extent of the offenses.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph announced the expulsion shortly after the verdict, stating, "Based on serious allegations and multiple criminal cases under investigation, Rahul Mamkoottathil has been removed from primary membership." The decision, following his August suspension and Youth Congress resignation amid prior harassment claims from an actress and writer, drew praise from senior leaders like K. Muraleedharan, who called him a "closed chapter," and V.M. Sudheeran, who demanded his MLA resignation. A second rape FIR was filed on December 1, with police seizing his digital devices for analysis of audio chats and threats.
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