Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLA from Palakkad, Rahul Mankootathil, who was under suspension over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, has been expelled from the party. On the same day, a local court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the latest sexual assault case filed against him. The court dismissed the petition after hearing arguments from both sides.
New Case Filed: Complaint From Bengaluru Woman
A fresh case was registered against the legislator on Wednesday based on a complaint from a woman from Bengaluru. According to her statement, the MLA allegedly raped her after promising marriage. This complaint has now been added to the growing list of accusations Rahul Mankootathil is facing.
Rising Pressure From Within the Party
With public criticism mounting, more Congress workers began openly speaking against the MLA. A female Congress worker came forward claiming she, too, had a “bad experience” with Mankootathil. Several other women from the party shared similar accounts, intensifying pressure on the leadership to take decisive action.
Senior Leaders Demanded Immediate Action
Several prominent Congress leaders—including former KPCC presidents V.M. Sudheeran and K. Muraleedharan—publicly demanded the MLA’s expulsion. KPCC president Sunny Joseph and Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan reiterated that the party would take appropriate action considering the seriousness of the allegations.
Political Conspiracy Claim Rejected
In court, Rahul Mankootathil argued that the accusations were part of a political conspiracy orchestrated jointly by the CPI(M) and the BJP. However, these claims did not mitigate the severity of the allegations or influence the disciplinary proceedings.
Background of the Case
The first allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in August, after which Mankootathil was suspended from the party. However, since no formal complaint was filed at the time, he continued as the MLA from Palakkad.
The situation escalated last week when a young woman submitted a written complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prompting the police to register a case and launch an investigation. The MLA has reportedly been absconding since then, drawing further criticism from within the Congress and hastening his expulsion.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.