Despite mounting pressure—including demands for resignation from several Congress women leaders—the legislator refused to step aside.
Published Dec 02, 2025 | 6:42 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 02, 2025 | 6:42 PM
Palakkad MLA and former Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil
Synopsis: The case has been morphed into one of the most high-profile scandal that Kerala has witnessed in recent years. With the local body election countdown ticking, each fresh allegation is not only found to be tightening the noose around Mamkootathil, but also threatens to suck the wind out of the Congress’ campaign sails.
Embattled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil has landed in further trouble after another young woman came forward with a serious allegation of rape.
The fresh complaint, sent via email on Tuesday, 2 December afternoon, has been addressed to KPCC president Sunny Joseph, senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, intensifying the crisis facing the Palakkad legislator who is already absconding in an earlier sexual assault case.
The latest complainant, a 23-year-old woman living in Bengaluru, alleges that Rahul raped her at a homestay in Pathanamthitta after promising to marry her.
According to her complaint, she came into contact with the MLA through social media, and their interaction soon progressed into a relationship that Rahul purportedly described as a precursor to marriage.
The woman states that her family had even agreed to the alliance. However, when she travelled to Kerala in December 2023 to meet him, Rahul allegedly took her to an isolated homestay owned by a friend and raped her.
The complaint also claims that the incident took place with the knowledge of a close associate of the MLA in Pathanamthitta.
She further alleges that Rahul later pressured her to conceive and subsequently withdrew from the relationship after sexually exploiting her, leaving her “mentally and physically shattered.” Notably, it’s learnt that, the woman had previously shared details with the concerned but had declined to pursue legal action.
She decided to re-submit her complaint after learning that her initial petition to the Congress leadership had not been officially acknowledged. The Congress leadership has confirmed receiving the email complaint and stated that it will consult legal experts on the next course of action.
Party sources reiterated that allegations of such nature should ideally be taken up with the police. This complaint, it’s learnt, has been forwarded to the State Police Chief for further action.
Earlier, another woman had filed a complaint with the Chief Minister, accusing Rahul of raping her in a hotel in Pathanamthitta, also under the pretext of marriage.
It was in August that a series of allegations of inappropriate behaviour and sexual misconduct surfaced against the legislator. As it gathered pace he stepped down as Kerala state president of the Youth Congress. Later the Congress suspended him from his primary membership.
Though he kept a low profile for some time then, he slowly came to the groove and was found active in political circles including in the local body election campaigning.
And then came a fresh wave of mobile phone audio recordings and WhatsApp chats that surfaced on 24 November, which reignited the sexual misconduct storm, placing the Congress party’s local body election campaign on the defensive at a crucial juncture.
The new materials—of unclear provenance—feature a male voice allegedly pressuring a woman to undergo a medical termination of pregnancy against her will. Television channels immediately attributed the voice to the MLA, prompting widespread public outrage.
Speaking to reporters in Palakkad, then, Mamkootathil accused the media of denying him a fair chance to respond and alleged a politically timed smear campaign. While refusing to directly deny the authenticity of the recordings, he insisted, “I have not broken any law. I will clear the air at the appropriate time.”
Despite mounting pressure—including demands for resignation from several Congress women leaders—the legislator refused to step aside.
The scandal escalated dramatically on 27 November, when the alleged survivor and her family met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and handed over a detailed written complaint along with digital evidence.
Within 24 hours, the Kerala Police registered an FIR against Mamkootathil, accusing him of: repeated sexual exploitation, false promises of marriage, coerced and illegal medical termination of pregnancy, threats to life, verbal abuse, and violations of the Information Technology Act.
Initially filed at Valiamala police station on 28 November , the case was later transferred to Nemom police station, bringing it under the jurisdiction of Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Thomson Jose. Investigators quickly moved into action, recording the survivor’s statement and examining medico-legal evidence from doctors who treated her.
Officials say the inquiry focuses on rape, illegal administration of abortion-inducing drugs, and life-threatening complications from unsafe procedures allegedly forced upon the complainant.
As the investigation gathered momentum, the first major sign of panic emerged as Mamkootathil abruptly went off the digital grid and became untraceable.
By 30 November, plainclothes police officers conducted a quiet inspection of his Palakkad residence, amplifying speculation that the MLA was evading arrest.
In a counteroffensive, Mamkootathil has petitioned the Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court, on Tuesday, seeking in-camera proceedings for the hearing of his anticipatory bail plea in the rape case.
The plea will be taken up on Wednesday, 3 December.
Rahul has submitted WhatsApp chats, call records, and photos to claim the relationship was consensual and the complaint politically motivated.
His counsel further claimed: the relationship was consensual, she was not divorced at the time of the alleged incidents, the abortion was voluntary, and the allegations are part of a premeditated political conspiracy.
He further questioned the survivor’s decision to approach the Chief Minister directly instead of filing a local police complaint, suggesting the timing—mid-election campaign—reveals ulterior motives.
On Tuesday, the embattled MLA also approached the Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court seeking in-camera proceedings for his anticipatory bail plea. His petition argues that open hearings would irreparably damage his public career and violate the privacy of both parties, given the sensitive nature of digital evidence submitted before the court.
The case has been morphed into one of the most high-profile scandal that Kerala has witnessed in recent years. With the local body election countdown ticking, each fresh allegation is not only found to be tightening the noose around Mamkootathil, but also threatens to suck the wind out of the Congress’ campaign sails.
Meanwhile, the Congress leadership in Kerala found itself in a tight spot after contradictory statements emerged regarding complaints against MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.
Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, while speaking to the media in Kozhencherry on Tuesday, asserted that no other political party in the state has taken such a strong and proactive stand on criminal allegations against its leaders.
He claimed that the complaint received by KPCC President Sunny Joseph was handed over to the State Police Chief within an hour, underscoring the party’s commitment to allowing the law to take its course.
Satheesan contrasted this with the CPI(M), alleging that complaints against several prominent leaders in the ruling party were settled internally without police involvement.
“We stand proudly. None of us has come out to defend anyone. If something is wrong, the police should investigate and take action,” he said, emphasising that the party acted even before an official complaint was sought.
Earlier, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph stated that the rape allegation filed by a Bengaluru native was the first complaint he had received against Mamkootathil.
However, this claim has now sparked controversy. Documents indicated that the survivor in the first case had emailed her complaint to Joseph, Satheesan, and Rahul Gandhi on 28 November, shortly after submitting it to the Chief Minister.
Critics allege that the Congress leadership concealed the information and misled the public.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
