Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil from Palakkad was arrested early Sunday morning in connection with a third rape case, intensifying the legal and political crisis surrounding the young leader. Police took him into custody around 1 am from a hotel in Palakkad and shifted him to a police camp in Pathanamthitta district for interrogation by a Special Investigation Team. His formal arrest was recorded after initial questioning, and he is scheduled to be produced before a court later on Sunday.

The latest complaint was filed by a married woman from Pathanamthitta district, currently residing in Canada, whose statement was recorded through video conferencing. According to police sources, she alleged that Mamkootathil raped her after promising marriage, later refused responsibility upon her pregnancy, coerced her into an abortion, and extorted money from her on multiple occasions. The Special Investigation Team, already probing the two earlier sexual assault cases against him, has been assigned to investigate this third complaint as well.

The arrest follows the Congress party's decision to expel Mamkootathil from primary membership days earlier, citing multiple criminal cases and internal complaints. The move came after a Kerala court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the first rape case, which involved allegations of rape and coercion to terminate a pregnancy. That complaint was initially submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who forwarded it to the State Police Chief, leading to charges based on an alleged incriminating audio recording.

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In the second case, investigated by the Crime Branch, a 23-year-old woman accused Mamkootathil of sexually assaulting her at a private accommodation after repeated promises of marriage and leveraging his influence. While a sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram granted him anticipatory bail in that matter, the rejection of bail in the first case triggered public celebrations in Palakkad by CPI(M)'s youth wing activists. The developments have severely damaged Mamkootathil's political standing, following his rapid rise after winning the Palakkad by-election last November.

Political reactions have been sharp, with the BJP accusing the Congress of initially shielding the MLA despite the gravity of the allegations. Palakkad District Congress Committee president A Thankappan clarified that Mamkootathil no longer has any association with the party and must decide on resigning as MLA. Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty emphasized the government's zero-tolerance approach toward such crimes, stating that no protection would be extended to the accused. The unfolding cases continue to draw widespread scrutiny across the state.

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