A criminal case has been registered against suspended Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil after a woman came forward alleging repeated sexual assault and coercion to terminate a pregnancy. Police booked the legislator at Valiyamala Police Station early Friday, hours after her detailed statement was taken by women officers at the Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police headquarters late Thursday night.
The survivor had first approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prompting authorities to initiate swift action. Following the recording of her statement, police moved to file the First Information Report, naming both Mamkoottathil and his friend Joby Joseph as accused.
FIR Alleges Assault, Blackmail and Forced Abortion
According to the FIR, the woman alleged that Mamkoottathil assaulted and raped her on multiple occasions. The document states that on March 17, intimate videos of her were allegedly recorded at her apartment, which he later used as a threat to silence her. Despite being aware that she was pregnant, the FIR says Mamkoottathil again assaulted her on April 22 and during two days in the final week of May at his apartment in Palakkad.
The complaint further states that on May 30, Joseph handed over abortion pills to the woman inside a car, following which Mamkoottathil allegedly compelled her to consume them, resulting in the termination of the pregnancy.
Survivor’s Statement Details Unsafe Termination
More information from the survivor’s statement has since emerged, indicating that the abortion was conducted in an unsafe and dangerous manner. She stated, as per Kerala Kaumudi, “Rahul forced me even when I hinted at the dangers of consuming the pills. He gave directions via video call and hung up only after making sure the pills were consumed. I went through a difficult situation after that. I had bleeding for three days. The doctor scolded me when I went for an examination. He said this method can put one’s life in danger.”
Her account contradicts earlier reports suggesting she had undergone a medical procedure in a Bengaluru hospital, underscoring instead that the termination happened in an unregulated setting.
MLA Denies Charges, Calls Them Politically Driven
Mamkoottathil, who filed an anticipatory bail plea on Friday, refuted all allegations. He claimed that the two became friends on Facebook and that he had shown empathy after she disclosed experiences of domestic violence.
He asserted that their relationship involved consensual sex, denied impregnating her, and rejected any claim that he forced her to terminate a pregnancy, alleging the accusations are politically motivated.