Last Updated:
Kerala High Court shields expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil from arrest in a rape case until December 15, as police probe two other cases.
MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.
In significant relief for expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, the Kerala High Court on Saturday ordered that he cannot be arrested until his anticipatory bail plea is fully considered. The court has posted the matter for hearing on December 15.
The interim protection applies specifically to the first case registered against him, in which he has been accused of rape and forcing the complainant to undergo an abortion without her consent.
Justice K Babu, issuing the interim order, stated: “The petitioner shall not be arrested during the pendency.”
The order comes two days after a Thiruvananthapuram sessions court rejected Mamkootathil’s pre-arrest bail plea. Following that setback, the Congress expelled him from its primary membership amid mounting criticism and political pressure.
Moves Sessions Court Within an Hour in Second Case
Barely an hour after securing the High Court’s interim protection, Mamkootathil on Saturday approached the Thiruvananthapuram sessions court seeking anticipatory bail in the second rape case registered against him.
His lawyer, advocate Ajithkumar (Sasthamangalam), said an application was also filed urging the court to restrain police from arresting him in light of the High Court’s direction.
“We are trying to have the matter taken up by the sessions court immediately today,” he said.
The second rape case was registered on Wednesday based on a complaint by a Bengaluru-based woman, adding to the MLA’s legal troubles.
The Fast Track Court in Thiruvananthapuram is now examining his plea seeking no-arrest protection in this second case.
Two Rape Cases in One Week
Mamkootathil, the MLA from Palakkad, has been absconding for over 10 days after the first complaint was filed. On Tuesday, he was booked in a second rape case, linked to an incident allegedly from 2023.
In the first case registered at Nemom, Thiruvananthapuram, the former Youth Congress state president faces charges of:
- rape,
- compelling the complainant to undergo an abortion without consent,
- criminal intimidation, and
- recording her nude images using an electronic device.
He has claimed that the relationship was consensual.
Congress Acts After Criticism
The Congress, under fire for not acting swiftly despite serious allegations, removed Mamkootathil from the party after police registered two rape cases in a single week. With local body elections just a week away and Assembly polls five months later, party leaders feared the scandal would damage the UDF’s prospects.
The episode has also triggered internal turbulence. Mamkootathil was considered a rising face in the party and was believed to have the backing of Opposition Leader V D Satheesan and MP Shafi Parambil support who helped him secure the Palakkad ticket in last year’s byelection despite local resistance.
Adding to the controversy, Samskara Sahithi leader MA Shahanas alleged this week that Mamkootathil had sent her inappropriate messages after she returned from the farmers’ agitation in Delhi. She said she had previously warned Parambil about his behaviour, but he was ignored.
A Rapid Rise Followed by Scandal
A native of Pathanamthitta, Mamkootathil won the Palakkad Assembly seat in November 2024 after Parambil vacated it upon winning the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat. Known for his television presence and energetic leadership, he was elevated to Youth Congress state president in 2023, despite facing allegations of manipulating the organisational voters’ list.
The High Court’s interim order now shields him from arrest only in the first case, pending the next hearing on December 15, while police continue probing both complaints
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Palakkad, India, India
December 06, 2025, 12:07 IST
Read More
