Last Updated:
Kerala MLA Rahul Mankootathil seeks anticipatory bail after police file rape and miscarriage charges. Congress suspended him, CPI(M) and BJP demand resignation. SIT to probe case.
MLA Rahul Mankootathil has filed an anticipatory bail plea at the Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram. (PTI)
Palakkad MLA Rahul Mankootathil has filed for anticipatory bail at the Sessions Court, Thiruvananthapuram, after the Nemom Police registered a case against him under various sections, including those related to rape and causing miscarriage without a woman’s consent.
Though allegations against the MLA surfaced in August this year, a complaint was filed only yesterday. The woman met Kerala Chief Ministepolr Pinarayi Vijayan and filed the complaint.
When the allegations surfaced in August, the Congress had suspended him from the primary membership of the party, and he was asked to step down as the State Youth Congress president.
The CPI(M) and BJP have been demanding his resignation as MLA. Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty said that Rahul Mankootathil, who is facing rape charges, should resign as MLA.
Sivankutty said, “The national leadership of the Congress should respond to this. Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s stand should be made clear on this issue.”
Meanwhile, the Congress maintains that it suspended him when the allegations first surfaced, and now it is up to the government to act since a complaint has been filed.
The case has been registered against Rahul Mankootathil under Sections 64(2)(f), 64(2)(h), 64(2)(m), 89, 115(2), 351(3) read with 3(5) of the BNS and under Section 66(E) of the IT Act.
In his anticipatory bail plea, Rahul said that the allegations are false, frivolous and politically motivated.
He claimed that the relationship was consensual. His anticipatory bail plea states, “The complainant is married to a district BJP leader of Palakkad. The case is completely politically motivated and a result of the political nexus of the CPI(M) and BJP in Kerala.”
He claimed that it was the complainant who had contacted him through Facebook, made a friendship, and later told him that her husband was committing domestic violence against her.
He also denied the allegation that he made her pregnant.The petition also stated that the complainant recorded the chats and voice calls as part of a political conspiracy to tarnish the image of the petitioner.
He also stated that initially she leaked these voice clips and chats to the media instead of filing a police complaint, which led to a media trial. The petition stated that the reason behind the present complaint is the elections.
The petition further stated, “During this election time, the government is facing serious allegations on the Sabarimala gold theft. After the arrest of a highly influential political leader of the CPI(M) in connection with the Sabarimala gold issue, the SIT investigation was on the way to some more political leaders and MLAs of the CPI(M). In order to divert public attention, this controversy was created with the help of the BJP.”
Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram Police Commissioner Thomson Jose said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be constituted to probe the case against the MLA. He said the case was registered only on Friday at the Nemom Police Station.
“We are just doing the basic formalities. There is not much which I can reveal right now. There are a lot of aspects involved in this. We will constitute a special team and hand over the investigation to them,” the Commissioner said.
Neethu Reghukumar, Principal Correspondent at CNN-News18, has 12 years of experience in both print and broadcast journalism. She covers politics, crime, health in Kerala, and has extensively reported on floods …Read More
Neethu Reghukumar, Principal Correspondent at CNN-News18, has 12 years of experience in both print and broadcast journalism. She covers politics, crime, health in Kerala, and has extensively reported on floods … Read More
Kerala, India, India
November 28, 2025, 19:59 IST
Read More
