Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil Booked for Sexual Assault and Forced Abortion

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police on Friday said they have registered a case against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil after a woman accused him of sexual assault and forcing her to terminate pregnancy. The case was registered at the Valiyamala Police Station on Friday based on the woman's statement recorded late Thursday.

The complainant had approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with her grievance on Thursday against the suspended Congress legislator. Her detailed statement was later recorded by woman police officers at the Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police headquarters, sources said. The procedures continued till late at night, after which a decision was taken to register the case.

According to police sources, the case has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for sexual assault on the false promise of marriage, forced abortion, and criminal intimidation. Police will approach the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court to record the confidential statement of the complainant. A team of doctors will soon assess the medical condition of the woman.

Meanwhile, Rahul Mamkootathil has reportedly gone into hiding after the woman approached the chief minister. Police have begun efforts to trace him.Congress leaders in Palakkad said Rahul was actively campaigning in the Kanadi area for local body elections till around 4 pm on Thursday, after which he and a close associate were not seen.

Earlier, the Crime Branch had registered a case based on audio clips and chat messages that surfaced after third-party individuals sent an email to the police headquarters, as the woman had not come forward at the time.Two days ago, another audio clip was released, in which the MLA purportedly expressed his desire for a child but later urged the woman to undergo an abortion.