Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 28 : Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty has stated that Congress leaders are still supporting suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, against whom there are sexual assault allegations and that this is "nothing short of a challenge to the people of Kerala and to women in society."
Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was suspended from the party in August.
"From what we understand, a young woman has submitted a very serious complaint against Rahul Mamkootathil directly to the Chief Minister. Anyone who has listened to the phone conversations between the girl and Rahul Mamkootathil would realise that the scale of abuse narrated is extremely shocking, something the public has perhaps never heard before. People of Kerala, cutting across political affiliations, have reacted with outrage," Sivankutty said.
"However, the Congress leadership continues to offer both open and indirect support to Rahul. Whether it is Shafi Parambil or former KPCC president K. Sudhakaran, they show no hesitation in backing him publicly. This is nothing short of a challenge to the people of Kerala and to women in society." the Kerala Education Minister said.
"The government has received the complaint and the proceedings will continue strictly as per law. There will be no compromise in this matter under any circumstances. As the local body elections approach, the political issues will be discussed, and along with that, the culture of the Congress and its attitude towards the public will also become a subject of debate. The government will take strict action," Sivankutty said.
Police have registered a case against MLA Rahul Mamkootathil based on a woman's complaint alleging sexual assault, rape on the pretext of marriage and forced abortion.
The FIR, initially lodged at the Nedumangad Valiyamala Police Station, was later transferred to the Nemom Police Station as the alleged incidents occurred within its jurisdiction.
The case has been registered under eight non-bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including Section 64 for rape, Section 64(2) for repeatedly committing rape on the same woman, Section 64(f) for rape by a person in a position of trust, Section 64(h) for rape on a woman knowing she is pregnant, and Section 64(m) for repeated rape on the same woman.It also includes Section 89 of the BNS for causing miscarriage without a woman's consent, BNS 316 for criminal breach of trust, and Section 68(e) of the Information Technology Act relating to transmission of offensive digital content.
The offences cumulatively carry punishments ranging from ten years to life imprisonment. The action follows a direct written complaint that the survivor submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. A team led by Rural SP KS Sudarsan subsequently recorded her detailed statement.
The complainant, accompanied by her brother, arrived at the Chief Minister's office around 4:30 pm on Thursday and handed over a three-page petition along with digital evidence including WhatsApp chats and audio recordings. After the Chief Minister forwarded the petition to ADGP H Venkatesh, a senior-level meeting was convened at the police headquarters to determine further steps.
With the FIR now registered, the police have begun procedures for the MLA's arrest. Although allegations surfaced as early as August, the woman had not appeared in person until now. The Crime Branch had already initiated a preliminary probe based on petitions filed by third parties to the State Police Chief and had identified the woman heard in the leaked audio recordings.