Expelled Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil granted bail in rape case

Pathanamthitta: Expelled Congress legislator Rahul Mamkootathil received bail from the Pathanamthitta Sessions Court on Wednesday, providing temporary relief in a rape case that has gripped Kerala politics. The first-time MLA has been in custody since his midnight arrest on January 11 from a Palakkad hotel. Following remand to judicial custody, he was lodged at Mavelikkara sub-jail, with investigators taking him to multiple sites including a Thiruvalla hotel and his Pathanamthitta residence for evidence collection.

The bail order follows a rejection by the Thiruvalla Magistrate Court days earlier. Prosecutors had opposed release, labelling Mamkootathil a “habitual offender” with prior High Court relief in two similar cases. They argued he could influence witnesses or spur additional complaints, citing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report and chat records between the accused and complainant. The hearing occurred in a closed courtroom due to the case's sensitive nature.

Mamkootathil's defence maintained the relationship was consensual, assuring his cooperation as a former public representative and denying any flight risk. The case has sparked controversy beyond the courtroom. Friend Fenny Ninan faces a cyber harassment FIR for leaking alleged WhatsApp chats with the complainant, while Congress worker Renjitha Pulickal was detained for targeting the woman online.

(Inputs from IANS)