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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police begins the search for Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil after a lookout notice has been issued against the Congress leader who is facing serious charges of forced abortion through coercion and issuing dead threats.
Police suspect that Rahul Mamkoottathil could leave the country and hence a lookout notice has been issued against him.
A senior official said the police would file a petition in the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Neyyattinkara, seeking to record the woman’s statement in-camera under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
He said the charges against Mr. Mamkootathil include rape, obtaining sexual consent through deceitful means, possibly by holding forth a false promise of marriage, and coercing a woman into terminating her pregnancy, regardless of the gestational period.
The FIR has revealed shocking details where it mentioned that Rahul who was the MLA back then sexually assaulted in the flat, recorded visuals and threatened to kill if the victim reveal the data.
Congress divided in the Rahul case
The Congress leadership which is clearly in the back-foot in the case is now looking to keep themselves away from the accused as it believes that the new revelations could upset the party’s prospects in central Kerala, especially Palakkad where the party had managed to register a thumping win a year ago.
While AICC General secretary KC Venugopal has made it clear that Rahul should the law of the land and the legal procedures, senior leaders like VK Sreekantan and Adoor Prakash has alleged a ‘political conspiracy’ behind the entire episode.
“We are questioning the timing of the complaint made here. There is clearly a political ploy that has worked behind the entire issue and hence needs to be probed”, said VK Sreekantan, Palakkad MP and senior Congress leader.
Leader of opposition VD Satheeshan however chose to remain silent when media-persons questioned him on the matter.
However most of the senior Congress leaders including K Muraleedharan, Ramesh Chennithala and others demanded the arrest of Rahul Mamkoottathil in the case.
FIR details
Suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil booked on rape charges; FIR Includes multiple non-bailable sections of the BNS 2023 including section 64 for rape, section 64(2) for repeatedly committing rape on the same woman, section 64(f) for rape by a person in a position of trust, 64(h) for rape on a woman knowing she is pregnant and section 64(m) for repeated rape on the same woman.
The FIR also includes section 89 of the BNS for causing miscarriage without a woman’s consent.
The offence cumulatively carry punishments from 10 years to life imprisonment.
