Pathanamthitta (Kerala) | Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was arrested in connection with a sexual assault case after being taken into custody from Palakkad in the small hours on Sunday, police sources said.
He was shifted to a police camp here in the morning, they added.
According to police, a third sexual assault case was recently registered against the Palakkad MLA following a complaint lodged by a native of Kottayam district on January 8.
The woman, who is currently in Canada, gave her statement to the police via video conference.
According to sources, the complainant is a married woman who became acquainted with Mamkootathil in 2024 following issues in her marital life.
She told the police that Mamkootathil allegedly raped her at a hotel in April 2024 after promising to marry her.
The remand report filed to a magistrate here on Sunday said that Mamkootathil told the woman that he required a private space for discussion and, on April 8, 2024, invited her to a hotel room in Thiruvalla, where she "was brutally raped in the afternoon".
When she became pregnant, Mamkootathil allegedly refused to take responsibility and threatened her to undergo an abortion, police said.
The woman also claimed that Mamkootathil took money from her on several occasions.
The report said that Makootathil misused his official position and targeted several housewives and unmarried women.
The case was registered against Mamkootathil under IPC sections 376(rape) and 506(1) (criminal intimidation).
After registering the case, the police kept Mamkootathil under surveillance, following which a six-member team led by a Deputy SP reached the hotel room where he was staying at around 12.15 am, sources said.
He was taken into custody from the hotel at around 12.30 am and shifted to the Pathanamthitta police camp at about 5.30 am.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing two other cases of a similar nature against him, has also been entrusted with the investigation of the latest case, sources said.
SIT head G Poonguzali arrived at the police camp and is interrogating Mamkootathil. After the preliminary interrogation, his arrest was recorded.
He was later shifted to a government hospital where his blood samples were collected for DNA examination, and a potency test was conducted, the remand report said.
He was produced before a magistrate who remanded him to judicial custody. The SIT has filed an application seeking his custody, which will be considered on Monday.
Mamkootathil has also filed a bail petition, which will also be considered on the same day, police said. Later, he was shifted to Mavelikara Sub Jail in Alappuzha district.
Sasthamangalam Ajith Kumar, lawyer of Mamkootathil, said that arrest and remand were not the end of the legal process.
Responding to queries on his contention that the arrest was unnecessary, Kumar said the MLA had conveyed to the investigation team his willingness to cooperate with the probe.
"In one case, he has already been granted bail. In another case, the Kerala High Court has given interim relief against arrest. The court imposed certain conditions while granting anticipatory bail, and he had contacted the investigation team to inform them about the time and place at which he could appear," Kumar said.
He further said the police had already informed Mamkootathil about appearing before them.
"If it is a different case, they can always ask him to appear," he added.
The Kerala High Court had earlier granted interim protection from arrest to Mamkootathil in the first case, which relates to allegations of rape and forcing a woman to undergo an abortion.
In the second case, a sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram had granted him anticipatory bail.
Following the allegations, the Congress expelled Mamkootathil from the party.
Mamkootathil successfully contested the by-election from Palakkad last year after Congress leader Shafi Parampil, who had earlier represented the constituency, won the Lok Sabha by-poll from Vadakara in Kozhikode district.
Thiruvananthapuram | The Congress on Sunday distanced itself from MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who was arrested in a sexual assault case, stating that he had been expelled from the party long ago.
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan said the party removed the Palakkad MLA after realising his alleged wrongdoing.
"After that, he is no longer our responsibility, and the party is not answerable for anything," he said.
Referring to Mamkootathil’s ousting, Muraleedharan said the party had used its "Brahmastra" at the right time and therefore bore no responsibility now.
Asked about Mamkootathil having been elected as an MLA on a Congress ticket, Muraleedharan reiterated that the party expelled him after finding fault on his part.
"Whatever walls he may have climbed later, what does that have to do with us? We did what was required. We found that he was not fit to be with us," he said.
He said further action against Mamkootathil should be taken by the government and the police.
"Congress never supports wrongdoing. If we find any mistake, punishment is initiated against the person who commits it," he said.
Muraleedharan added that the Congress does not follow a tradition of claiming that all its actions are right while those of others are wrong. "We have never supported gold thieves or womanisers," he claimed.
On Mamkootathil continuing as an MLA, Muraleedharan said he should have resigned long ago.
"Since we have expelled him, we have no right to demand his resignation. We cannot even issue him a whip," he said.
Responding to questions on the CPI(M) allegedly using the arrest for political mileage during elections, Muraleedharan said the Congress had several issues to raise against the Left.
"Our party took action. On the other hand, a CPI(M) leader facing a similar case is claiming he will contest the election again," he said.
Despite knowing about the offences, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan allowed the CPI(M) leader to contest elections twice, Muraleedharan alleged.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said he would not respond to allegations raised by LDF leaders in connection with the Mamkootathil incident.
He said LDF leaders should first examine their own ranks and explain why some of their leaders continue in public life despite cases of a similar nature being registered against them.
Asked whether the Congress would demand Mamkootathil’s resignation from the MLA post, Satheesan said the party had no such right at present. "He is not in our party now. How can we ask for the resignation of a person who is no longer part of the party?"
He said the law would take its own course and that everyone in the state was aware of his stand on the issue.
"I was personally attacked in the name of this incident. It did not affect me then. My position is known to all," he said.
Satheesan said the party believed more in action than words and that it had acted at the right time by expelling Mamkootathil from the Congress.
When asked whether the Congress would support a resolution in the Assembly seeking Mamkootathil’s disqualification, he said the matter would be considered if and when it came up. "We will decide then. I am not the person to take that call. The decision has to be taken by the party," he said.
He added that the decision to suspend and expel Mamkootathil was not taken by him alone but was a collective decision of the party.
Earlier, Palakkad District Congress Committee president A Thankappan said Mamkootathil was no longer associated with the party. He said it was up to Mamkootathil to decide whether he should resign from the MLA post.
Similarly, Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty said Mamkootathil was now an individual with no association with the Congress.
"Congress has no responsibility regarding Mamkootathil. It is now up to him to face the allegations that are repeatedly emerging against him," he said, adding that the law would take its course.
Meanwhile, LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan alleged that the Congress was responsible for Mamkootathil despite expelling him, calling the move a "face-saving exercise".
"After expelling Mamkootathil, Congress should have demanded his resignation from the MLA post. No such demand has been raised so far, and Congress leaders are protecting him," he said.
Earlier in the day, Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty said that even after cases were registered, Mamkootathil attended several public events with the support of Congress leaders.
"Congress should ensure that his position does not give him any kind of protection. We have information that the Congress camp is still supporting him. The law will take its own course," he said.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said the Congress was facing a "severe moral decay."
He alleged that the rape incidents took place when Mamkootathil was in charge of the Youth Congress as well as serving as an MLA.
"He was promoted based on these acts," Govindan alleged.
He said the CPI(M) had not demanded Mamkootathil’s disqualification from the Assembly, as people were already witnessing the developments related to the case.
"It is not just one or three cases. There could be around 10 to 18 cases. Only three cases have been registered so far. More will come out soon," he said.
BJP leader P K Krishnadas alleged that the Congress was standing more with Mamkootathil than with the victims and demanded that the party seek his resignation from the MLA post.