The Kerala High Court on Thursday extended the interim protection from arrest granted to expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in a case involving allegations of rape and forcing a woman to undergo an abortion, pushing the relief until January 7, 2026.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the order while hearing Mamkootathil’s plea challenging a decision of the Thiruvananthapuram Principal District and Sessions Court, which had earlier refused to grant him anticipatory bail. The High Court said the matter would be taken up again on January 7, when it will further consider his challenge to the lower court’s order.
This is the third time the interim protection has been extended. The High Court had first shielded Mamkootathil from arrest on December 6, granting protection until December 15. The relief was subsequently extended on December 15 till December 18, and has now been continued for a longer period.
In his petition, Mamkootathil has asserted that he is innocent and argued that custodial interrogation is not necessary in the case. He has maintained that his relationship with the complainant was consensual and claimed that the complaint was filed only after the relationship turned sour.
The case relates to allegations that Mamkootathil sexually assaulted a woman and compelled her to terminate a pregnancy. Following the registration of the case, the expelled MLA had gone into hiding. He resurfaced after the High Court granted him interim protection from arrest earlier this month.
After securing interim relief, Mamkootathil also appeared in public to cast his vote in Palakkad during the local body elections held on December 11.
The High Court is expected to examine the merits of his anticipatory bail plea in detail when the matter comes up for further hearing in January.
