A court in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district on Wednesday granted conditional anticipatory bail to Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in the second rape case filed against him.
The plea for anticipatory bail was allowed by District and Sessions Judge Nazeera S on the condition that the legislator appear before the investigating officers every Monday and cooperate with the probe.
With protection from arrest, the MLA, expelled from the Congress last week, is expected to come out of hiding. Local media reported that Mamkootathil may arrive in Palakkad constituency on Thursday to cast his vote in the local body elections.
In the second rape case filed against him, the MLA is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman under the pretext of marriage and causing extreme physical injuries. The complainant had sent the email containing the allegations to Congress state chief Sunny Joseph who forwarded it to the Crime Branch which registered the case.
Even though Mamkootathil had not received a fabourable order on bail in the first rape case from the sessions court, he appealed in the High Court which allowed the plea.
In his bail petition in the second rape case, the MLA argued that there was a delay of two years in reporting the offence. He also claimed that the complainant approached the Congress state chief instead of reporting directly to the police.
{{/usCountry}}In his bail petition in the second rape case, the MLA argued that there was a delay of two years in reporting the offence. He also claimed that the complainant approached the Congress state chief instead of reporting directly to the police.
{{/usCountry}}He argued that custodial interrogation was unnecessary and that he would cooperate with the probe.
The sexual assault allegations against the former Congress leader first arose in August when a woman actor accused him of sending obscene messages. He was suspended from the party’s primary membership and asked to step down as the Youth Congress state chief. In November, following a slew of audio clips, a woman filed a complaint with the police, accusing him of raping her and forcefully terminating her pregnancy.
The MLA so far has denied the allegations.