Pathanamthitta (Kerala), January 12. The bail plea of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil will be heard in court on Monday, following his arrest in connection with multiple sexual harassment cases.
The Thiruvalla Judicial First Class Magistrate Court will consider his bail request on Monday. Leaked chats, allegations related to abortion, and purported threats may significantly influence the decision on whether to continue custodial interrogation and grant bail.
Mamkootathil was arrested on Sunday during a covert police operation and is currently in judicial custody for 14 days. At the time of his arrest, he was already out on bail in two other similar cases.
The emergence of inappropriate WhatsApp chats involving Mamkootathil, along with serious allegations of exploitation and threats allegedly made to a complainant, has considerably weakened the defense’s claim that the relationship was consensual.
In his bail application, Mamkootathil contended that the allegations against him are fabricated and that the relationship was based on mutual consent. He further argued that the complainant had concealed her marital status, and upon discovering this, he ended the relationship.
However, investigators maintain that the digital evidence collected thus far contradicts these claims. The leaked WhatsApp conversations indicate not only sexual exploitation but also ongoing financial exploitation.
The complainant has alleged, with supporting evidence, that Mamkootathil pressured her to purchase a luxurious 3BHK apartment in Palakkad and solicited funds for a trip to the UK, along with expensive clothing and footwear.
These conversations could lead the court to conclude that the relationship was allegedly used as a means for financial gain rather than a mutually consensual romantic relationship.
Legal experts assert that even in consensual relationships, coercing a woman to terminate a pregnancy constitutes a serious criminal offense, violating her physical and mental autonomy.
Strengthening the prosecution’s case, a threatening message allegedly sent by Mamkootathil to the complainant in a third rape case has now come to light.