Palakkad: Responding to the allegation made against him by Avantika, Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil on Sunday said that he is being targeted and framed. He also played an audio recording that the transwoman allegedly sent him to support his claims.

According to Rahul, he received a call around 8.24 pm on August 1 from Avantika. She informed him that a reporter had contacted her, claiming there were complaints against the MLA. "In the call, Avantika told me that a reporter had said there were serious allegations and that a complaint might exist. She mentioned that she had recorded the call and later sent it to me," Rahul said.

During the press meet, the MLA played the alleged recording. In it, a male voice is heard telling Avantika, “I am calling you because someone told me that Avantika is in a life-threatening situation, and that you experienced terrible things from Rahul Mamkootathil. That you have recordings and chats. I don’t know much more about it.”

In response, Avantika is heard denying the claims. “I have no complaints against him. I haven’t gone to the police. I would like to know who said such things about me, especially when it's about an MLA, and that too from Palakkad,” she is heard saying in the clip.

Rahul said he contacted Avantika again after receiving the recording and asked if she would stand with him in seeking justice. "If she were in such a threatening situation, why would she call and inform me in this way and even share the voice clip?" he questioned.

The MLA maintained that he is innocent and suggested that the call points to a deliberate attempt to trap him.

Meanwhile, Avantika clarified that the phone conversations Rahul Mamkootathil released on Sunday were from a time when the two were friends, that too before June. "I sent that audio clip only because Rahul requested it. Back then, we were friends. But later, my experiences with him changed for the worse. Now he selectively presents that call while avoiding other serious questions," she told the media.

She added that it was only after another woman came forward with allegations that she realised she was not alone. "Until then, I was afraid. But when I understood that others, too, had faced similar behaviour, I felt society should know who he really is." According to Avantika, the most crucial evidence lies in Telegram chats exchanged in vanish mode (or one-time watch). "Rahul has shown only WhatsApp messages. Why is he hiding the Telegram conversations? If he files a complaint, I am prepared to submit all those messages as evidence."

On Friday, Avantika had accused Rahul of sending her sexually suggestive messages. She said she became acquainted with him after the Thrikkakara byelection, and over time, his conversations turned increasingly perverse.

Avantika alleged that just before his press conference on Thursday, Rahul called her asking her not to reveal these matters, and has since blocked her. She claimed he told her he wanted to rape her and suggested travelling to Bengaluru or Hyderabad for this purpose. 

Rahul resigned as Youth Congress state president on Thursday following allegations of misconduct from multiple women. Malayalam actor Rini Ann George had earlier accused an unnamed political leader of sending her offensive messages. Soon after, writer Honey Bhaskaran publicly named Rahul in a Facebook post, alleging he had repeatedly sent her unsolicited messages. She said while the initial exchanges were casual, he persisted and she eventually cut off contact.