Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil Arrested In Rape Case, Sent To Jail
The crimes, which began a year ago, came to light after Rahul’s stupendous victory in the Palakkad by-election in December 2024, leading to multiple complaints against him. In each case, the allegations are alike—building intimacy by promising marriage, engaging in sex under the pretence of wanting a child, and then ending the relationship with threats when the woman becomes pregnant
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was arrested and remanded in custody on Sunday in connection with a rape case, the third one registered against him.
The case was based on a complaint filed by a woman from the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. According to police, Mamkootathil, who was expelled from Congress earlier, allegedly invited the married woman to a hotel and raped her, and also forced her to undergo an abortion. While the court had previously restrained police from arresting him in other cases, he was taken into custody in the latest complaint. The arrest took place dramatically late on Saturday night at a hotel in Palakkad, where Mamkootathil had checked in.
After the arrest, the 37-year-old MLA was taken to Pathanamthitta district for further proceedings. He was produced before a magistrate's court in Pathanamthitta and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.
Mamkootathil, was booked last month on charges of allegedly raping a married woman and forcing her to undergo an abortion. Another woman levelled allegations of sexual abuse that occurred in 2023. The court had restrained the police from arresting Mamkootathil in the two cases.
Rahul was taken to Mavelikkara Special Jail amid strong protests from the DYFI and BJP workers.
Rahul, already facing two prior rape cases, was arrested in connection with a third incident through a covert police operation. Along with rape and physical and mental abuse, the charges also include inciting abortion, all of which are disturbing and follow a similar pattern.
The crimes, which began a year ago, came to light after Rahul’s stupendous victory in the Palakkad by-election in December 2024, leading to multiple complaints against him. In each case, the allegations are alike—building intimacy by promising marriage, engaging in sex under the pretence of wanting a child, and then ending the relationship with threats when the woman becomes pregnant.
The arrest report makes serious claims, describing Rahul as a habitual offender. Police say he threatened the complainant even before the case was filed and might use his position as an MLA to sway witnesses or put the complainant under psychological stress through cyberattacks. In a previous case, he allegedly evaded the law by hiding for ten days.
The report adds that Rahul poses a current threat to the complainant’s life and may pressure her by exposing her personal information.
Rahul Mamkootathil’s rise in state politics was unbelievable, as he emerged as the young and dynamic face of the Congress. After being elected as State Youth Congress president, Rahul was fielded as the UDF candidate for the Palakkad assembly bypoll in December 2024. He won the election with a big margin of 18,840 votes and soon spearheaded a series of agitations against the ruling LDF.
However, his political downfall began in August 2025, when a young woman accused him of harassing her for over three years. Audio clips of his conversations, threats, and screenshots of objectionable WhatsApp messages surfaced in the public domain, forcing the leadership to suspend him from the party.
Rahul faced another major setback on November 27, when a woman lodged a sexual harassment complaint against him with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, providing digital evidence, including a pen drive containing chats and audio conversations. Subsequently, a rape case was registered against Rahul.
His troubles deepened when another woman, an NRI, emailed the KPCC president alleging that Rahul had raped her under the pretext of discussing marriage plans.
