FIR filed against suspended Congress MLA from Palakkad, Kerala, Rahul Mamkoottathil for alleging raping a woman multiple time while she was pregnant. The FIR state that beside raping the victim, Rahul recorded her video and threatened her of releasing the video on social platform, if she discloses their relationship. FIR further state that although Rahul was aware that the victim was pregnant, he raped her at her apartment on April 22 and again in May.  Allegedly, a close aide of Mamkoottathil, Joby Joseph gave the victim abortion pills and the duo forced her to consume it to terminate the pregnancy.

Case has been registered under Sections 64(2)(f) (rape by a person in a position of trust or authority), 64(2)(h) (rape knowing the woman is pregnant), 64(2)(m) (repeated rape on the same woman), 89 (causing miscarriage without consent), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Section 66(E) of the Information Technology Act for the alleged recording and threatening to misuse of private images has also been invoked by the cops.

Mamkoottathil and Joseph absconding

A special investigation team has been formed for the lookout of the accused and his aide, to ensure that they don’t leave the country. Currently both the accused Mamkoottathil and Joseph are on the run and they haven’t been traced so far, search operation is on. While the operation is underway to track and arrest the duo, the victim’s confidential statement is being recorded before a Judicial First-Class Magistrate in Neyyattinkara. A petition was filed in Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, following this petition, orders of recording the statement were issued. The victim had approached the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday and posted that the recording of statements and police action had intensified. Initially her statement was recorded at the Thiruvananthapuram rural police headquarters and later formally registered on Friday.

When will Congress High Command Break Its Silence?

In August when the allegations first surfaced, Mamkoottathil was suspended from the Congress and also the primary membership was removed, and he also stepped down as the State Youth Congress president. For over a month, the BJP and CPI(M) and BJP had been demanding his resignation as MLA. In a statement the Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty said, “Rahul Mankootathil, who is facing rape charges, should resign as MLA. 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 Mamkoottathil has claimed that he had consensual relationship with the woman and he requested anticipatory bail, “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 even called this politically motivated and shared that the woman met her on Facebook and both turned friends, she even shared that her husband was abusive and she was a victim of domestic violence. He even denied that he never made her pregnant, besides, he was a victim as the complainant had recorded her voice mail and chats to tarnish his image and destroy his political career.

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