Kerala Court Grants Custody Of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil To Police In Third Rape Case

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Thiruvalla on Tuesday (January 13) granted police custody of Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who is charged with rape. 

Mamkootathil was arrested on Sunday (January 10) and has been in judicial custody since then. Today, the MLA was produced before the Magistrate. The Magistrate was considering the custody application along with the bail application preferred by the MLA.

Smt. Arundhanthi Dileep ordered that custody can be given to the police from 12:45 p.m. today till 5 p.m. on January 15 (Thursday). The police had sought for 3 days' custody in the application.

With respect to the bail application, the Magistrate remarked that the same can be considered after a detailed hearing on January 16 (Friday), after the accused is returned from police custody.

The counsel appearing for Mamkootathil argued that the registration of the case as well as the arrest is illegal as there were procedural violations. He also contended that the case was a false and politically motivated one. 

This is the third complaint made against him alleging the same offence. The offence is reported to have been filed by a NRI woman, who claimed that Mamkootathil raped her in a hotel room.

In the first complaint, the Sessions Court, Thiruvananthapuram denied him pre-arrest bail and he had approached the High Court. The bail application before the High Court is presently pending consideration but he has been granted interim protection from arrest in the case.

The Sessions Court, Thiruvananthapuram granted him anticipatory bail in the second case alleging rape. The State has moved the High Court seeking cancellation of the bail. The Court is set is hear the case on January 21.