New rape allegation against Mamkootathil wrong-foots UDF ahead of local body polls

Another complaint of sexual assault against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil on Tuesday appeared to have wrong-footed the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition, with barely nine days left for the two-phased local body polls.

The petitioner, who identified herself as a 23-year-old Non-Resident Keralite, emailed Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, MLA, accusing Mr. Mamkootathil of raping her after inviting her to a resort to discuss a prospective marriage.

Mr. Joseph forwarded the complaint to the police, which he stated had no date, reference or the petitioner’s details.

The email, circulated to journalists, states that KPCC’s “repeated denial” of the existence of earlier complaints of sexual misconduct against Mr. Mamkootathil had “obligated” her to “ensure that the truth is known to protect other women from harm.” Mr Joseph reiterated that his office was unaware of any pending complaint against Mr. Mamkootathil.

The emailer stated that the social media persecution of Mr. Mamkootathil’s alleged victims had precluded her from coming out in the open. She said her details were “available with the Crime Branch.”

The writer also requested Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to ensure that Mr. Mamkootathil holds no public role that entails interaction with women and children. His removal, she wrote, would empower other alleged survivors to seek justice without fear of retribution.

The emailer also accused Congress leader Feni Ninan, Mr. Mamkootathil’s associate and UDF candidate in the eighth ward of the Adoor municipality, of having driven her to the resort where Mr. Mamkootathil allegedly raped her.

Mr. Ninan has denied the accusation and petitioned the State Police Chief to investigate the email’s “questionable provenance, veracity and its suspicious timing.” 

The Congress had suspended Mr. Mamkootathil in August following accusations of serial sexual predation.

Yet, the latest in the string of accusations of sexual foibles against Mr. Mamkootathil assumed legal and political significance, given that Mr. Mamkootathil’s anticipatory bail plea in a rape and coerced termination of pregnancy case registered last Thursday is slated to come up for hearing at the Principal Sessions Court, Thiruvananthapuram, on Wednesday.

The police have also cast a dragnet for Mr. Mamkootathil, who has been missing from public life after moving for anticipatory bail.

The latest scandal also, arguably, threatens to land the UDF’s local body poll campaign in a political equivalent of purgatory.

Notably, leaders across the political spectrum, including CPI State secretary Binoy Viswam, RMP leader K.K. Rema, MLA, and BJP leader K. Surendran, have escalated their demand for Mr. Mamkootathil’s immediate resignation as MLA, accusing the Congress of soft pedalling.

The Congress appeared to be in a firefighting mood. Party leaders seemed to be at pains to stress that Mr. Mamkootathil was no longer a Congress member. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan hinted at further measures in the case.