Kerala HC grants Rahul Mamkootathil protection from arrest till Jan 7
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Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday extended temporary relief to ousted Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, directing that he should not be arrested until January 7, when the court will examine in detail the sexual assault case registered against him.
The order extends the interim protection earlier granted to the first-time Palakkad legislator, who has been under mounting legal and political pressure over two separate complaints. The High Court had initially provided protection from arrest on December 6, when Mamkootathil went underground following the registration of the cases. Thursday’s extension gives him breathing space as the court prepares to hear the matter thoroughly early next year.
In parallel, a lower court in Thiruvananthapuram last week also directed that he should not be arrested in a second, similar case until further orders.
The legal developments came a day after Mamkootathil resurfaced publicly following a 15-day disappearance to cast his vote in the December 11 local body elections, ending intense speculation over his whereabouts. He arrived at St. Sebastian’s School, Kunnathurmedu, Palakkad, around 4.45 p.m., accompanied by a small group of supporters, and voted at Booth No. 2 in Ward 24.
Speaking briefly to reporters, Mamkootathil said the matter was now before the courts and declined further comment. CPI-M workers protested his presence, raising slogans and displaying banners as he left the polling station.
The MLA had been absconding since November 27, after a young woman filed the first sexual assault complaint. As the controversy intensified, the Congress initially suspended and later expelled him, distancing itself when a second case surfaced.
Last Wednesday, the Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court granted him anticipatory bail in the second case with stringent conditions, including weekly appearances before the investigating officer, and directed that he be released on bail immediately if arrested in connection with that case. The prosecution has challenged the anticipatory bail order in the High Court.
Police have also added charges such as stalking, unlawful restraint, and criminal trespass, maintaining that Mamkootathil can be formally arrested in the first case only if the High Court lifts its stay.
With IANS inputs
