Kerala MLA Faces Assault Allegations as Woman Files Complaint With CM
Kerala MLA Faces Assault Allegations as Woman Files Complaint With CM
A woman accuses Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil of sexual exploitation and coerced abortion; the complaint is with Chief Minister Vijayan as police prepare an FIR.
A woman who has alleged recurrent sexual exploitation and coercion against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the government Secretariat on Thursday, presenting a formal complaint. The Chief Minister is said to have forwarded the matter to the State Police Chief for action, with authorities hinting that investigators could seek court permission to record her statement in camera under BNSS Section 183.
The case has already put the Congress at the centre of a bruising dispute after Mamkootathil was suspended from its primary membership in August amid accusations of inappropriate behaviour toward women, including stalking and sexually predatory conduct. The party also removed him from his post as State Youth Congress president. Officials noted that the police are pursuing legal avenues, including the possibility of in-camera deposition before a magistrate.
Police have registered an FIR in the matter, transferring it from the initial zero FIR to the Nemom police station under the jurisdiction of the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner. The charges under investigation include rape or repeated sexual exploitation, obtaining consent through deceit such as false promises of marriage, and coercing the complainant to terminate her pregnancy, regardless of gestation. Investigators are also looking into medicines that could cause a miscarriage and related IT Act violations, as part of the broader allegations.
Officials said a senior investigator highlighted that BNSS deems coerced consent a cognisable offence, and the case reflects broader concerns about women’s safety and political accountability ahead of elections. The police have named Mamkootathil’s associate Joby Thomas in some inquiries, while continuing to gather evidence and statements, including recorded audio clips circulated in local media.
Cover image source: Woman submits complaint to CM against suspended Cong MLA Rahul Mamkootathil 🔗
