Rahul Mamkoottathil case: MLA still absconding as SIT hunt focuses on Karnataka

The investigation into allegations against Kerala’s Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil turned tense on Tuesday (December 2) as he continued to evade arrest even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) narrowed down its search to pockets in neighbouring Karnataka.

Rahul, who represents Palakkad in the state Assembly, has remained untraceable for days, shifted locations frequently and kept his phone out of bounds, forcing the investigators to rely on electronic trails, travel records and local intelligence inputs.

Also read: Rahul Mamkoottathil admits relationship in anticipatory bail plea; denies coercion

The SIT also suspects that the leader’s supporters have sheltered him intermittently across the state’s border.

Case adjourned till December 4

While the pursuit continued across districts of Kerala, focus also shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court on Wednesday (December 3), where Rahul’s anticipatory bail plea came up for hearing. After hearing the arguments, the court adjourned the case till Thursday (December 4), directing the prosecution to submit additional documents to support its arguments. The order will be issued thereafter. The court, however, has not granted any stay on arrest.

The legal proceedings on Wednesday were held in camera, with the court accepting the requests of both the accused and the de facto complainant.

The investigators argued that the legislator’s continued disappearance, non-cooperation and alleged attempts to wipe out digital traces left little room for judicial leniency.

Wide political repercussions

The political repercussions of the scandal widened sharply on Monday (December 1) with the emergence of a second detailed complaint, submitted privately to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president by a young woman currently living outside the state.

Police sources confirmed that the crime branch has been in touch with her and considers her account important in establishing what they now describe as a consistent behavioural pattern.

Also read: FIR against MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil for stalking and sexual misconduct

According to officers familiar with the case, the woman was known to Rahul since her student days, and investigators believe that their history, coupled with a significant age gap, created a situation in which manipulation and emotional dependence were a certainty.

What the woman said

In her letter, the woman describes how Rahul re-established contact in 2023 through Instagram and soon shifted the communication to Telegram under the pretext that his social media accounts were being monitored.

She recounts that he spoke warmly, told her he had always liked her, and repeatedly promised marriage while assuring that her career aspirations would never be compromised by his political life.

Family hesitation over his unstable early career, she says, eased only after he rose to the position of the state Youth Congress president, when local party members began describing him as a leader with a promising future.

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Encouraged by these assurances, the woman’s family indicated willingness to proceed with the proposal.

Her account states that during her next visit home, Rahul insisted that they meet privately before he visited her family. He arrived with a friend, whom she identifies as Feni Ninan (a United Democratic Front candidate from Pathanamthitta district in the upcoming local self-government election), and drove her several kilometres out of town to what resembled an isolated homestay.

Once inside a room, she says, he abruptly attempted to be physically intimate without any discussion, ignoring her repeated refusals and assertion that she was not ready. What followed, according to the complaint, was a violent sexual assault that left her with panic attacks, breathing difficulties, and even visible injuries.

She writes that after the assault, she sought reassurance about marriage, only to be told coldly that Rahul had no intention of marrying anyone and that his political career would never allow him to devote time to raising a family.

Rahul then allegedly disappeared for nearly a month before resuming contact casually, as though nothing had happened, and began making disturbing references to wanting to impregnate her despite offering no clarity on any future together.

A fear of retaliation, she writes, prevented her from blocking him or confronting him.

Other women also speak out

The woman notes that over time, she began hearing accounts from others about allegations against Rahul, including complaints from other young women who said they experienced a similar pattern of promises, manipulation, and betrayal. She became particularly alarmed after another survivor publicly complained and was subsequently humiliated online by followers of the MLA; her photographs circulated to shame and discredit her.

This online harassment, she says, intensified her fear and convinced her that coming forward publicly would expose her family to unbearable social pressure.

Despite this, she felt compelled to inform the KPCC after the party leadership stated that no complaints had been received.

Her letter ends by warning the party that Rahul systematically exploits young women by misusing the trust placed in him as an elected representative. She has also asked the Congress to ensure he does not occupy any role that enables close interaction with women and children, and says she has provided her account truthfully to the Crime Branch.

Discomfort for Congress

The explosive content of the second letter has deepened discomfort within the Congress. Senior leader K Muraleedharan stated openly that the party is now in a position where expelling Rahul may be the only viable option, especially as his continued evasion undermines the party’s credibility.

“The time has come to use the brahmastra,” Muraleedharan said. “He can decide whether he wants to continue as an MLA, but he has no place in the party. Those who still want to stand with him may go with him. The party will take a decision soon.”

Muraleedharan’s blunt stand reflects the growing frustration among leaders who believe the organization cannot risk being seen as protecting an absconding MLA facing grave accusations.

By contrast, Shafi Parambil, long considered Rahul’s mentor and who the latter replaced as the Palakkad MLA in 2024, has remained measured, saying only that the law will run its course. His reluctance to take a clearer position has drawn quiet criticism from within the party, particularly from women leaders who argue that the seriousness of the allegations requires decisive action.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the first complaint has reached a critical stage. The medical examination of the first survivor, who has accused Rahul of rape and forcing an abortion, has corroborated her statement, according to police sources.

The medical findings align with her description of the assault and treatment, significantly strengthening the prosecution’s position ahead of Wednesday’s bail hearing. Investigators say the consistency of her deposition and the medical evidence leaves little ambiguity about the nature of the offence.

Police see similarity in pattern

Across both accounts, police officers say they see a striking similarity in the sequence of events of emotional grooming through promises of marriage, insistence on private meetings, exploitation of trust, and withdrawal of commitment once physical access was obtained.

The investigators believe this pattern will be central to establishing motive, method and the misuse of positional authority.

As the matter comes before the sessions court, the SIT strongly opposes bail, pointing out that Rahul’s continued disappearance indicates a deliberate attempt to evade the investigation. His team’s plea for in-camera proceedings was also examined with caution. Although such hearings are common in sexual assault cases (typically at the request of survivors), women’s rights groups fear it could be misused to shield a public representative from broader scrutiny.

With the SIT closing in on the absconding MLA, the political leadership under pressure, and survivors’ accounts reinforcing each other, the Rahul Mamkoottathil case has evolved far beyond a single allegation. It now presents a portrait of a widening scandal in which the convergence of testimony, pattern, and evidence points to a disturbing abuse of personal and political power.