Rape case: Kerala HC extends stay on arrest of expelled Cong MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday extended the interim order staying the arrest of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil in a rape case until January 21. The court deferred a final decision on his plea for anticipatory bail, stating that it would hear detailed arguments on that date before deciding on pre-arrest protection.

During the proceedings, the High Court allowed the complainant to be impleaded as a party in the anticipatory bail petition filed by the now-expelled Congress legislator. The complainant had approached the court seeking to be added as a respondent in the case, a request the court accepted after observing that her inclusion was necessary for the effective adjudication of the plea.

The court granted the survivor two weeks to file a counter-affidavit responding to the submissions made by Mamkoottathil. Consequently, the matter has been posted to January 21 for a detailed hearing. The interim stay, initially granted to allow the court to consider the merits of the petition, will remain in force until then, with the court directing that no coercive steps be taken against the MLA during this period.

The case has drawn significant attention given Mamkoottathil's status as a sitting MLA. With the complainant now formally part of the proceedings, the court is expected to hear comprehensive arguments from both sides regarding the allegations and the maintainability of the bail plea. Incidentally, Mamkoottathil has already secured pre-arrest bail from a Thiruvananthapuram court in a separate but similar case. He was expelled from the Congress party shortly after the second allegation surfaced.

(Inputs from IANS)