PATHANAMTHITTA: Following a dramatic midnight arrest in connection with a fresh rape complaint, Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody on Sunday. He was later sent to Mavelikkara sub-jail.
The arrest was based on the complaint — the third against Rahul — a 31-year-old Malayali woman, currently residing in Canada, emailed to the police. In its remand report submitted before a Pathanamthitta district magistrate, the special investigation team (SIT) described the MLA as a “habitual offender” and argued that his continued liberty posed a serious risk to the investigation.
According to the remand report, the accused deliberately befriended the survivor — a married woman — through social media and allegedly raped her. The alleged incident took place at a hotel in Tiruvalla on April 8, 2024. The complainant alleged that Rahul asked her to book a room at the hotel and rest there. Around 15 minutes later, he arrived in the room and used force to assault her sexually, the woman alleged.
The complainant said he also slapped her, and the assault continued for nearly two hours. The woman alleged that she became pregnant following the incident. She also accused him of financial exploitation, claiming that he coerced her into financial transactions, including the purchase of a flat.
In her complaint, the survivor said she was subjected to slut-shaming and denial of paternity, which caused severe stress and insomnia.
‘Bid to intimidate survivors’
She allegedly suffered bleeding on May 24, 2024, and a subsequent miscarriage. Police said Rahul was taken into custody following a covert operation at a hotel in Palakkad late on Saturday night. Officers, who reached the hotel, secured the mobile phones of the staff at the hotel reception, ensured that no other persons were present in the room, and completed custody formalities by 12.30am.
Later, he was taken to Pathanamthitta for further proceedings. The SIT questioned the MLA after completing the medical examination. The survivor’s statement has been recorded via videoconferencing.
Rahul, who was expelled from the Congress earlier, faces two other sexual assault cases. In the first case, the High Court had stayed his arrest, while in the second, a trial court had granted him anticipatory bail till January 21.
In the report filed in the court on Sunday, the SIT said Rahul had allegedly exploited women on the promise of marriage and warned that there was a strong possibility of similar offences being repeated if he was not taken into custody.
The police said he had attempted to intimidate survivors and put pressure on them to withdraw complaints. There was a likelihood of such attempts being repeated in the present case as well. The accused had recorded private chats and nude videos of survivors on his phone, which need to be recovered as part of the probe, police said.
Stating that the presence of the accused was essential for further questioning and evidence recovery, police argued that custodial interrogation was necessary. The remand report also alleged that Rahul had misused his position as an MLA in committing several of the offences under investigation.
The remand application was filed before the Tiruvalla Judicial First Class Magistrate. As the court was closed on Sunday, Rahul was presented at another magistrate’s residence in Pathanamthitta.