6 months ago
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An under-the-radar probe by the Kerala Police Crime Branch had led to the pre-dawn apprehension of Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, connected charges of rape and coerced aesculapian termination of gestation from a edifice successful his constituency successful Palakkad aboriginal connected Sunday (January 11, 2026).
A Crime Branch squad is presently questioning Mr. Mamkootathil astatine an equipped reserve campy successful Pathanamthitta. Officials said the constabulary person indicted Mr. Mamkootathil connected charges of rape, coerced aesculapian termination of pregnancy, fiscal extortion, cheating, assurance trickery, amerciable detention, and obtaining intersexual consent by deceitfully promising marriage. The Crime Branch volition nutrient him earlier a magistrate successful Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta district, aboriginal today.
Officials said a 3rd “me-too” disclosure, received by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s bureau past twelvemonth and processed secretly by the constabulary implicit the past fewer months, helped investigators legally circumvent the interim extortion from apprehension Mr. Mamkootathil had obtained from the High Court successful 2 earlier rape and coerced termination of gestation cases.
Investigators had subpoenaed the victim’s compartment telephone records, aesculapian introspection reports, and DNA trial reports. They recorded the statements of those privy to the alleged narration earlier registering a First Information Statement, which laid down the ineligible crushed for Mr. Mamkootathil’s arrest.
Officials said the alleged offences occurred implicit respective months, starting successful April 2024. Officials said the pistillate accused Mr. Mamkootathil of brutalising her erstwhile she initially resisted his demands to abort the pregnancy.
Officials privy to the ailment said the unfortunate accused Mr. Mamkootathil of befriending her connected societal media, obtaining her intersexual consent by falsely promising marriage. However, investigators said, the narration soured aft the pistillate became large and Mr. Mamkootathil backtracked connected his promises.
. They said Mr. Mamkootathil had allegedly extracted ample sums of wealth from the victim, including a rental deposit for a level successful his constituency successful Palakkad. She had produced the bills and integer currency transaction records arsenic proof, officials added.
The Crime Branch had secretly recorded the victim’s statement. The pistillate aboriginal deposed voluntarily and successful camera earlier a Magistrate. Armed with the deposition, the Pathanamthitta constabulary secretly recorded a First Information Report (FIR). They transferred the lawsuit to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch, led by Assistant Inspector General of Police G. Poonguzhali.
Notably, Ms. Poonguzhali has sizeable acquisition arsenic the nodal serviceman for victims who testified earlier the 2017 Justice Hema Committee, which recorded allegations of intersexual favours for movie roles and sex inequality and entrenched misogyny successful the Malayalam movie industry.
Mr. Mamkootathil had obtained interim extortion from apprehension from the High Court till January 21 successful 2 akin rape cases registered against him past year. Nevertheless, the Crime Branch received ineligible sentiment that the 3rd FIR did not preclude the SIT from arresting the MLA.
A plainclothes Crime Branch squad escorted by uniformed constabulary officers led by the DySP, Shornur, knocked connected Mr Mamkootathil’s edifice country astatine 12.45 a.m. They whisked him distant successful a constabulary van to the equipped reserve campy successful Pathanamthitta.
