Fresh sexual assault complaint against suspended Congress MLA Mamkootathil
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): With police continuing their intensive search for absconding Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, another woman has filed a fresh sexual assault complaint against the legislator.
The 23-year-old woman, who lives outside Kerala, sent the complaint to the party high command and the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) via email.
The party’s state leadership has handed the complaint over to the state police chief for further action, party sources said on Tuesday. However, DGP Ravada A Chandrasekhar said he's yet to receive the complaint.
Mamkootathil has been absconding for the past few days after police registered a sexual assault and forced-abortion case against him based on a complaint submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last week.
In the fresh complaint, the woman allegedly stated that Mamkootathil had "grievously exploited, assaulted, and emotionally abused her under the false promise of marriage."
She said she was coming forward now because recent reports of similar allegations had surfaced, and she wanted to ensure that no other woman "falls prey to his predatory behaviour."
In her complaint, she also gave a detailed account of how she met Mamkootathil years ago and how she was "sexually assaulted" in a homestay-like building after "being deceived with a false promise of marriage."
According to the FIR registered on November 28 from the earlier complaint, the complainant—who was pregnant at the time—was allegedly raped by Mamkootathil over two days at an apartment in the last week of May.
The suspended legislator has reportedly been untraceable since the case was registered on November 28.
He has filed an anticipatory bail plea before the Thiruvananthapuram District and Principal Sessions Court, which will be considered on December 3.
Apart from Mamkootathil, his friend Joby Joseph is also named as an accused and is currently untraceable. Joseph allegedly gave the complainant a pill inside a car on May 30 to abort the pregnancy.
The case has been registered under Sections 64(2)(f) (rape by a person in a position of trust or authority), 64(2)(h) (rape knowing the woman is pregnant), 64(2)(m) (repeated rape on the same woman), 89 (causing miscarriage without consent), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police have also invoked Section 66(E) of the Information Technology Act for the alleged recording and threat of misuse of private images.
Mamkootathil was suspended from the primary membership of the Congress on August 25.
He earlier resigned as Youth Congress state president after Malayalam actress Rini Ann George accused a young leader of misbehaviour, prompting protests by the BJP and the DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M).
Subsequently, several women and a transgender person also levelled allegations against him.
Mamkootathil was elected as MLA in November last year in a bypoll to the Palakkad seat, following former MLA Shafi Parambil’s election to the Lok Sabha from Vatakara.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
