2nd rape complaint filed against absconding MLA

ABsconding Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, supercharged with dishonor and forced abortion, has been accused of sexual assault below the stalking-horse of matrimony by another woman.The woman, a 23-year-old from Bengaluru, emailed the complaint to the Congress state leadership, including KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, who handed it over to the special investigation team probing the rape case against the MLA.“I got the complaint via email this afternoon. There were no dates or other details in the complaint, but it says that she has also informed the Crime Branch earlier about the incident. I have forwarded the complaint to the state DGP. I also replied to the complainant that the MLA is currently under suspension from the party,” Joseph told local media.The woman has alleged that Mamkootathil raped her at a homestay in Pathanamthitta in 2023 after initially agreeing to marry her. She claimed that the suspended Congress leader approached her through Instagram and expressed his desire to marry her with the consent of her family.After agreeing to the proposal, the woman said she met Mamkootathil at a homestay far away from the city to discuss marriage and future plans. But at the homestay, he proceeded to sexually assault her and cause grievous injuries despite her objections.“He ignored my objections, repeatedly asserting that such intimacy was ‘natural between lovers’ who were going to get married. Despite my resistance, he assaulted and violated me brutally. He forcefully had sexual intercourse with me, resulting in a severe panic attack. I struggled to breathe and had to take my prescribed medication,” she said in the complaint.The woman said she suffered ‘several cuts and injuries from the brutal attack.’ Afterwards, she claimed that when she asked him to reaffirm his commitment to marriage, the Congress leader “coldly stated he had no intention of marrying anyone, including me.”The complainant termed Mamkootathil “a sexual predator who systematically misuses his political power to groom, deceive and exploit young women.”She requested the Congress leadership in the complaint to prevent him from holding any role involving public engagement, especially with women and children.The fresh complaint to the Congress leadership comes days after Mamkootathil was booked by the Kerala police of raping a woman and forcing her to abort her pregnancy.The formal complaint came days after audio clips surfaced on local media in which a male voice, purportedly of Rahul, is heard telling the woman to ‘stop being dramatic’ about her pregnancy and to visit the hospital. In the audio clip, the woman is heard saying that he (Rahul) wanted the pregnancy in the first place and that he has ‘changed a lot.’In August too, audio clips had surfaced, reportedly of the same woman, in which the MLA was even heard saying at one point that he did not need much time to kill her if he wanted so.The MLA, who was suspended from the Congress primary party membership in August when the allegations first arose, is currently absconding.An anticipatory bail petition filed by the legislator in a court in Thiruvananthapuram is set to be heard on Wednesday.