On Saturday, the trial court in Kerala denied bail to Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in connection with a third rape case, keeping him in judicial custody as allegations of repeated sexual assault against the legislator deepen and intensify scrutiny over criminal accountability of elected representatives.
The order came after the MLA was arrested from a hotel in Palakkad following a complaint by a woman alleging sexual assault during the previous year. The accused has consistently denied the charge, asserting that the relationship was consensual and claiming ignorance of the complainant’s marital status, which he says prompted him to end the relationship.
With this latest prosecution, the legislator now faces three separate sexual assault cases, even as earlier proceedings had seen him secure interim relief in the form of anticipatory bail in one case and protection from arrest in another. The present bail plea was argued after completion of police custody, with the defence pressing for release and the prosecution opposing it in light of the nature of the allegations and their recurrence.
After hearing submissions in-camera, the Magistrate declined to grant bail, concluding that custodial release was not warranted at this stage. The Court dismissed the application, effectively directing that the accused remain in judicial custody while the investigation proceeds, thereby signalling that the seriousness and multiplicity of allegations weighed against bail in the present case.
Disclaimer: This news/ article includes information received via a syndicated news feed. The original rights remain with the respective publisher.
Picture Source :
