SIT Conducts Day-Long Search of Mamkootathil’s Palakkad Apartment in Rape Investigation

The Kerala Police Special Investigation Team intensified its probe into grave sexual assault charges against suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil on Sunday, conducting an exhaustive search of his apartment in Kunnathurmedu, Palakkad, from morning until evening. A joint operation involving officers from the Thiruvananthapuram headquarters and the local Palakkad Crime Branch focused on gathering critical evidence, including potential digital traces linked to the survivor's allegations.

Investigators meticulously examined the building's security room for CCTV footage corresponding to the dates the survivor claims she was brought to the flat by the MLA and assaulted there. Although no recordings from the relevant period were available due to the DVR system's limited storage capacity, police plan to submit the hard disk for advanced forensic analysis to recover any deleted or fragmented data. Two vehicles owned by Mamkootathil were discovered parked at the premises, with his driver and private secretary present during the raid.

With Mamkootathil believed to be evading capture in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, authorities have expanded the search across Kerala and neighboring states, bolstered by a lookout notice issued earlier. The MLA, who vanished shortly after the survivor formally petitioned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on November 27, faces non-bailable charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including rape, criminal intimidation, and coerced abortion. His associate, Joby Joseph, stands as the second accused in the FIR detailing repeated assaults and forced miscarriage.

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The case erupted into public view following the survivor's disclosure of explicit videos allegedly recorded by Mamkootathil without consent, alongside audio clips suggesting threats and coercion. The Congress party swiftly suspended the Palakkad legislator from primary membership in August amid serial misconduct accusations, while opposition forces including the BJP and CPI(M) demand his immediate resignation as MLA.

As the investigation accelerates, Mamkootathil has sought anticipatory bail from the Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court, with a hearing scheduled for December 3. The proceedings unfold against a charged political landscape, where the timing—mere weeks before local body elections—has sparked debates over electoral influence and institutional accountability in handling high-profile abuse allegations.

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