Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil’s friend booked for revealing identity of victim in third rape case

Pathanamthitta: Police have registered a case against Fenni Ninan, a close associate of expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, for allegedly revealing the identity of a victim whose complaint led to the legislator's arrest.

Ninan, who is also a Youth Congress leader, disclosed the details of the case in a Facebook post on Friday.

According to Ninan, Pathanamthitta cyber police have booked him under non-bailable offences, alleging that he revealed the complainant’s identity and posted objectionable content on social media.

"Anyone who has read my posts will understand that I neither revealed the complainant’s identity nor made any obscene remarks about her," he said.

Ninan said he would not step back merely because a case had been registered against him. "This is political persecution. I will face the case." He added that he would approach the court seeking bail and also move the Kerala High Court challenging the legal validity of the FIR.

On Thursday, Ninan had shared WhatsApp chats on his social media accounts, claiming they were exchanges between him and the victim, and raised allegations against her.

He alleged that the victim had approached him in October 2025 seeking to meet Mamkootathil.

In response, the victim on Friday released an audio clip, claiming that Ninan had first contacted her through Instagram and befriended her.

She alleged that only selective portions of the chats were made public by Ninan to create a misleading narrative.

She said she had informed Ninan about Mamkootathil denying responsibility in connection with her pregnancy and blocking her from further contact.

"He pacified me and made me comfortable. He directed me not to disclose this to anyone," she alleged in the audio clip.

The victim further claimed that Ninan assured her that there was no other woman in Mamkootathil’s life.

She said that it was only in August 2025 that she came to know, through news reports, about similar allegations against Mamkootathil by other women.

"When I questioned Mamkootathil, he told me these were media-driven allegations and that the claims of other victims were fake," she said.

According to her, when she insisted on meeting Mamkootathil at his house in Adoor, he promised to meet her in Palakkad instead and asked her to coordinate the meeting through Ninan.

"When I contacted both of them regarding the meeting, they started avoiding me. Ninan then suggested meeting at the office, which I refused as I needed a safe place," she said.

She alleged that after realising Mamkootathil was avoiding her, she travelled to Palakkad without informing him, but he refused to take her calls and handed over his phone to staff members, who allegedly misled her to different places, preventing her from meeting him.

"As a married woman, I came forward anticipating such reactions. I want to tell Ninan with affection that I will not be afraid of facing these things," she said.

Mamkootathil, who was arrested by the police following the victim's complaint, is currently lodged at the Mavelikara sub-jail.

Two other cases were registered against him before for sexually harassing other women.

Mamkootathil, who won the Palakkad assembly by-election last year, was expelled by the Congress party after police registered rape cases against him.