Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil arrested in rape case, remanded
Action taken over third complaint against him.
Action taken over third complaint against him.
Action taken over third complaint against him.
Palakkad: A Crime Branch team has arrested Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in connection with a rape case based on a fresh complaint filed by a woman against him. He was taken into custody from the KPM hotel in Palakkad town on Saturday midnight.
A team from the Crime Branch also sealed his hotel room and seized the MLA's mobile phones, before taking him to Pathanamthitta around midnight.
It is learnt that the woman, a native of Thiruvalla and living abroad, filed the complaint via email to the Director General of Police (DGP), who formed a special investigation team to take quick action against the accused. The complainant's statement was recorded via video conferencing.
According to the police, the arrest was formally recorded on Sunday after he was taken to the AR Camp in Pathanamthitta. After questioning at the district police headquarters, the MLA was brought before the Pathanamthitta Magistrate, who remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days. He was later transferred to the Sub-Jail in Mavelikkara.
G Poonkuzhali, who heads the team appointed to investigate the allegations against the MLA, reached the district police headquarters around 6.45 am on Sunday.
A top police source said the woman has formally submitted a written complaint and agreed to give more evidence supporting her allegations. “The investigation is in a preliminary stage, and the woman has agreed to fully cooperate with the further procedures of the investigation, including DNA tests,” said the police officer.
Sasthamangalam Ajith, who will appear for Rahul in the Pathanamthitta magistrate court, said the arrest was a surprise move from the part of the police, and the investigation team is yet to reveal further details of the complaint against Rahul.
This is the third complaint filed against the MLA, who was bailed out recently, in connection with another rape case registered against him by the investigation team.
When he was taken to the Pathanamthitta district hospital for a medical examination, DYFI and Yuva Morcha activists staged a strong protest outside the premises. A large police contingent was deployed in the area to maintain law and order.