Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress suspended the primary membership of its expelled MLA, Youth Congress leader Rahul Mankoottathil, moments after the Vanchiyoor Principal Sessions Court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail. The order was issued by Principal Sessions Judge Jeseera, who dismissed all justifications presented by the absconding legislator.
According to the prosecution, fresh evidence—including details of a newly registered sexual abuse case—was submitted on 4 December, prompting the Court to turn down the bail request. Proceedings were held in camera from 3 December at the request of Mankoottathil’s counsel. The defence argued that the allegations were fabricated to divert attention from the Sabarimala gold loot case, contending that the woman had taken abortion pills on her own, that the sexual relationship was consensual, and that her husband was responsible for the pregnancy.
Counsel submitted three pieces of what were described as “strong” evidence: photographs showing the woman with her husband during the period of the alleged incident, WhatsApp chats purportedly establishing consensual relations, and a pen drive containing voice recordings along with a hash value certificate. The Court, however, found the material insufficient.
The Youth Congress leader continues to remain an MLA despite the party announcing his expulsion only after the Court’s rejection of the anticipatory bail plea — a move that has drawn sharp criticism. Until he went into hiding, Mankoottathil had been active in Assembly proceedings and even took part in Congress election campaigning in Palakkad for the local body polls.
With multiple women now coming forward with fresh allegations, pressure is mounting on the Kerala Police to arrest the legislator. Speculation is also rife over a possible surrender before a Kasargod court in the coming days.
The controversy dates back to early November, when the first reports of sexual misconduct allegations against Congress leader and MLA Rahul Mankoottathil began circulating. Despite the seriousness of the claims, the Kerala Congress initially refrained from taking major disciplinary action even as the allegations escalated and the Kerala Police began preliminary enquiries.
By mid-November, the party adopted what many described as cosmetic measures, removing him as State Youth Congress President and from the Congress Legislature Party, yet he continued to remain an MLA, with his primary membership left untouched.
This inaction, as noted in earlier discussions, allowed Mankoottathil to keep “walking into the Assembly and actively participating in party propaganda in Palakkad for the local body polls,” even as the accusations mounted.
A significant turning point in the case came when the victims of MLA Rahul Mankoottathil met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a move that decisively altered the course of the investigation. Until then, the probe had progressed slowly despite mounting allegations, but the direct appeal to the Chief Minister reportedly prompted the police to intensify their scrutiny, expand the scope of enquiries, and treat the accusations with greater urgency.
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