Palakkad MLA Mamkootathil Arrested in Secret Midnight Operation

After months of secrecy, Palakkad’s MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was arrested in a tightly choreographed operation designed to leave no loopholes. Police moved in just after midnight at KPM Regency, Palakkad, seizing hotel staff phones and ensuring his driver and assistant had left before making contact. He was in room 2002 when officers knocked and announced custody; the door opened only after they identified themselves, and the formal arrest was completed within about 15 minutes.

Police sources said the arrest is linked to a newly filed sexual harassment complaint. The operation followed a period of careful planning and secrecy, with senior officers unavailable by phone during the late-evening window as preparations were finalized and the hotel room was placed under surveillance.

The case resonates with a prior controversy surrounding a so-called “midnight raid” during the Palakkad byelection in November 2024, which drew embarrassment for the police after their raids on two Congress women leaders yielded nothing. This time, prosecutors and investigators pursued a different route, aided by a third MeToo disclosure received by the Chief Minister’s office last year and processed in the months that followed, which helped investigators legally navigate an interim protection from arrest Mamkootathil had obtained from the High Court in two earlier rape and coerced termination of pregnancy cases.

Inside the room, Mamkootathil’s personal belongings, including his laptop and mobile phone, remained in place as the room was kept under surveillance while the investigation proceeds. The arrest formalities were logged swiftly, and the room is now part of the ongoing inquiry as officials assess the new complaint alongside prior cases.

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