Suspended Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil booked in rape case

Kerala police on Friday registered a case against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil after a woman formally accused him of sexual assault and forcing her to undergo an abortion. This marks the first official complaint against the suspended Congress leader, who has been facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct in recent months.The case was filed at the Valiyamala Police Station based on the survivor’s statement, which was recorded late Thursday. The woman had approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier in the day, following which she was taken to the Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police headquarters, where woman officers documented her detailed testimony. Procedures continued until late night before the case was formally registered.
Police sources stated the FIR includes charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to sexual assault on the false promise of marriage, forced termination of pregnancy, and criminal intimidation. Officials will now seek to record the survivor’s confidential statement before the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, and a medical team is being arranged to examine her.Mamkootathil has reportedly gone into hiding after learning the survivor had approached the Chief Minister. Police have initiated efforts to trace him. Congress leaders in Palakkad stated that the MLA was seen campaigning in the Kanadi area until around 4 pm on Thursday but has not been spotted since.
Earlier, the Crime Branch had initiated a separate case based on audio clips and chat messages that surfaced through third-party complaints. A recent audio clip allegedly captured Mamkootathil expressing his desire for a child before later urging the woman to undergo an abortion.The Congress suspended him from primary membership on August 25. His resignation as Youth Congress state president came earlier after allegations of misconduct involving a young leader triggered protests. Several women and a transgender person have since come forward with further accusations against him.