Thiruvananthapuram | A Kerala court on Wednesday heard arguments on the anticipatory bail plea moved by suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil who has claimed that the sexual assault case against him was "fabricated and politically motivated".
The Thiruvananthapuram District and Principal Sessions Court after hearing arguments behind closed doors, listed the matter for further consideration on Thursday.
It did not give any interim protection from arrest to Mamkootathil.
A case under sections 64(2)(f) (rape by a person in a position of trust or authority), 64(2)(h) (rape knowing the woman is pregnant), 64(2)(m) (repeated rape on the same woman), 89 (causing miscarriage without consent), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against the Palakkad MLA last week.
Police have also invoked Section 66(E) of the Information Technology Act for the alleged recording and threat of misuse of private images.
Mamkootathil has been absconding since the police registered a case after the complainant submitted a petition to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Subsequently, a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted and a lookout circular has been issued to prevent Mamkootathil from leaving the country.
While the SIT was probing the case, a fresh complaint of sexual assault was made against him by another woman.
The 23-year-old woman, living outside Kerala, sent her complaint to the party high command and the KPCC.
Congress leaders on Wednesday said that the complaint sent to the KPCC has been forwarded to the DGP. Mamkootathil was suspended from the primary membership of the Congress on August 25.
He earlier resigned as Youth Congress state president after Malayalam actress Rini Ann George accused "a young leader" of misbehaviour, prompting protests by the BJP and the DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M).
Thereafter, several women and a transgender person also levelled allegations against him.
Mamkootathil was elected as MLA in November last year in a by-election to the Palakkad seat, following former MLA Shafi Parambil's election to the Lok Sabha from Vatakara.