Expelled Congress MLA Secures Bail in 2nd Sexual Assault FIR After 13 Days Absconding
Expelled Kerala MLA wins anticipatory bail in second rape case.
The Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in the second sexual assault case registered against him. The order brings major relief to the 33-year-old politician who had been absconding for the past 13 days, evading a Special Investigation Team formed specifically to arrest him in connection with the fresh allegations.
The court, while acknowledging the gravity of the accusations, imposed a series of strict conditions to prevent any misuse of liberty. Mamkootathil has been directed to appear before the investigating officer every Monday without fail, surrender his passport within a week, and refrain from leaving the state without prior court permission. He has also been strictly warned against destroying or tampering with evidence, contacting the complainant, or directly or indirectly influencing any witness associated with the case.
The second case originates from a detailed complaint filed by a 23-year-old woman from Bengaluru, who alleged that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Mamkootathil in 2023 after he promised to be in a relationship and on the false promise of marriage. The complainant’s statement, recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate, was placed on record by the prosecution, which strongly opposed the bail plea citing the possibility of the accused fleeing justice and intimidating witnesses.
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This bail order stands in sharp contrast to the same court’s earlier decision in the first sexual assault case, where anticipatory bail was rejected after finding the allegations — including rape, criminal intimidation, and coercing the termination of pregnancy — to be extremely serious in nature. Following that rejection and mounting public outrage, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee swiftly expelled Mamkootathil from the party’s primary membership, emphasising zero tolerance towards moral turpitude and the need to safeguard organisational discipline and credibility.
Although the Kerala High Court had granted interim protection from arrest in the first case, the registration of the second FIR intensified the legal crisis for the former MLA, prompting the state police to constitute a Special Investigation Team headed by a senior woman officer. With Wednesday’s bail order, Mamkootathil can now appear before investigators without immediate fear of arrest in the second case, though the stringent conditions and ongoing probes in both cases ensure that his legal battles are far from over.
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