Rahul Mamkootathil.
Credit: X/@rmamkoottathil
Thiruvananthapuram: Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was held by the police late on Saturday night in a sexual assault case.
Mamkootathil was taken into custody from a hotel in his constituency Palakkad and taken to Pathanamthitta where a fresh sexual assault case was registered.
'He was later produced before the court amidst strong protest by DYFI and Yuva Morcha activists, who demanded his resignation. He was remanded to judicial custody for two weeks.
The police report termed termed the MLA as a habitual offender as he was already accused in two sexual assault cases in which he obtained interim relief from the court against his arrest. The police strongly objected bail to him citing that he had earlier went into the hiding after a sexual assault case was registered against him.
The fresh case was learnt to be registered on the basis of a complaint given by a woman hailing from his home district Pathanamthitta. The woman accused the MLA of forcing her to abort pregnancy. She however preserved parts of the foetus. Hence the police would be collecting DNA samples from the MLA.
The woman is now working abroad. The alleged sexual assault took place before Rahul got elected as MLA. Rahul allegedly sexually assaulted her by promising to marry and impregnated her. Later he threatened her to terminate the pregnancy and also assaulted her. The woman also alleged that Mamkootathil extorted cash from her on the pretext of buying an apartment.
The police held Mamkootathil through a well planned operation late on Saturday night
Congress had earlier suspended him from the party after couple of women raised sexual assault allegation against him. Last month the party expelled him after the police registered a sexual assault case against him.
However, he is still continuing as an opposition MLA.
Speaker A N Shamseer said that he would seek legal opinion on whether Mamkootathil could continue as MLA.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the Congress expelled him from the party as soon as it received a formal complaint against him, whereas CPM MLAs accused in sexual assault cases are still in the party and holding MLA post. Since Mamkootathil is not a Congress MLA now the party could not ask him to quit, Satheesan said.
CPM state secretary M V Govindan said that the Congress was continuing to support the accused.
The young firebrand leader was a strong critic of the CPM, especially Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Hence his supporters allege that the police's swift moves against him were politically motivated.