Kerala Court Denies Bail To MLA Rahul Mamkootathil In Third Rape Case

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Thiruvalla on Saturday (January 17) denied bail to Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who is charged with rape.Smt. Arundhathi Dileep observed:"The petitioner is a sitting MLA. The allegations levelled against him is serious and grave. Also, the petitioner is having similar antecedents. This is also every chance of witnesses being threatened or influenced, evidence being tampered and investigation being hampered. Therefore this is not a fit case to exercise the discretionary jurisdiction of this court u/s. 480 of BNSS."Yesterday, the Magistrate held the proceedings in-camera, allowing an application preferred by Mamkootathil requesting for the same. After hearing the plea, the Magistrate had reserved its verdict. The MLA was arrested on Sunday (January 10), and was in judicial custody. Thereafter, on Tuesday, the Magistrate allowed the investigating agency's custody application and gave custody of the MLA to the police for three days from 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday till 5 p.m. on Thursday.This is the third complaint made against him alleging the same offence. The complaint is reported to have been filed by a NRI woman, who claimed that Mamkootathil raped her in a hotel room. Thereafter, a crime was registered at the Crime Branch Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram.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.Case No: Bail Application No. 3/2026Case Title: Rahul Mamkootathil v. StateCounsel for the petitioner: Sekhar G. Thampi, Abhilash Chandran and Sasthamangalam S. Ajithkumar (Sr.)Counsel for the respondent: Devi M.G. - Assistant Public Prosecutor Click to Read/Download Order

Kerala Court Denies Bail To MLA Rahul Mamkootathil In Third Rape Case

K. Salma Jennath

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