Third Rape Case: Police Gets Custody of Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil

A Kerala Court on Tuesday granted custody of expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil to the police for three days in a sexual assault case. A Judicial First Class Magisterial court in Thiruvalla granted the MLA’s custody to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the cases of sexual assault registered against him.
There were protests from the CPI(M) and BJP youth when he was brought out from the court and taken to the police vehicle. They also protested outside the jail when he was being taken to the court and the taluk hospital in Thiruvalla for medical examination.

Mamkootathil, who was protected from arrest by the Kerala High Court in the first two cases of sexual assault, was arrested on Sunday in Palakkad. This was in connection with a third sexual assault case that was recently registered against him following a complaint by a native of Kottayam district on January 8. The woman, who is currently in Canada. She gave her statement to the police via video conference. Sources told PTI that the complainant is a married woman who became acquainted with Mamkootathil in 2024, following issues in her marital life. She has told the police that Mamkootathil allegedly raped her at a hotel in April 2024. He had promised to marry her. When she became pregnant, he allegedly refused to take responsibility. He threatened her to undergo an abortion, police had said.

The case was registered against Mamkootathil under sections 376(rape) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Mamkootathil, an MLA of the Congress in Kerala’s Palakkad was expelled following rape accusations, and was taken into custody at around 12.30 am from the KPM Regency Hotel in Palakkad. He had been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. The police action came after a third rape complaint was filed against Mamkootathil by a woman from Pathanamthitta who is currently working in Canada. In the complaint, the woman made serious allegations against the expelled MLA, including brutal sexual assault, forced abortion, and financial exploitation. 

According to the woman, she alleged became pregnant and was preparing for a DNA test of the foetus. She told investigators that the laboratory had asked Mamkootathil to provide a sample, but he did not cooperate with the DNA test process.  The survivor claimed that she possessed evidence to support her allegation and submitted the same to the investigation team, according to PTI. The woman said she met Mamkootathil through social media. This was at a time when she was facing problems in her marriage. She alleged that the expelled Congress MLA later entered into a relationship with her and pressured her to end her marriage.

She said Mamkootathil promised to marry her. And said that adding that he insisted on having a child, saying it would help ensure quick approval for the marriage from his family. The survivor further said that Mamkootathil repeatedly expressed his desire to meet her in person. When she suggested meeting at a restaurant, he reportedly refused, saying he could not meet in public as he was a public figure, according to NDTV. He allegedly suggested meeting at a hotel in Palakkad instead and told the woman to book a room. The woman told the police that once inside the hotel room, the expelled MLA attacked her even before speaking to her and that she was subjected to a brutal sexual assault. Police said the investigation is progressing based strictly on evidence and statements, and further legal steps will follow.