On December 4, 2025, a court in Thiruvananthapuram rejected the anticipatory bail request of Rahul Mamkootathil, the MLA from Palakkad.
He is currently facing serious allegations of rape and forcing a woman to have an abortion. The court decided that he should not get bail before arrest because of the serious charges imposed on him and the evidence submitted against him.
The case was filed by a 23-year-old woman who accused Mamkootathil of repeatedly sexually assaulting her. She said that he also made her terminate her pregnancy.
The police have thus registered an FIR including serious charges such as rape by a person in a position of authority, also repeated rape, and causing miscarriage without consent, thus criminal intimidation, and also the misuse of private images.
The investigation is still ongoing, and the police are in the process of collecting more evidence to strengthen the case.
According to the recent reports, the prosecution has also presented medical documents, witness statements, messages, and even the audio recordings as evidence. After examining all these materials, the court decided that the gravity of the allegations and the supporting evidence were enough reasons to deny the anticipatory bail of the person.
This means Mamkootathil can now be arrested and will have to face the ongoing investigation in custody.
Following the court’s decision, the Indian National Congress immediately expelled Rahul Mamkootathil from the party.
The state unit, which is being led by Sunny Joseph, said that because of the serious charges, he cannot continue as a member.
Earlier, the party had suspended him when the allegations first came to light. Now, the expulsion is actually a clear message from the party that criminal allegations of this nature are always taken seriously and cannot be ignored.
The case has thus also created widespread attention and debate in Kerala. Many people have thus expressed anger and disappointment over the alleged actions of a public representative.
Women’s rights groups and political leaders have also welcomed the court’s decision and the party’s action. They said this shows that serious crimes should not be ignored even if the accused is a powerful politician.
At the same time, they have also stressed the fact that more work is needed to ensure that justice is served and that survivors are protected.
Image Credit: X/@dhanyarajendran
