The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in a rape and forced abortion case registered against him, providing significant relief to the embattled legislator who is facing multiple allegations of sexual assault.
Justice Kauser Edappagath granted the anticipatory bail while allowing Mamkootathil’s plea challenging the earlier order of the Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court, which had refused him protection from arrest in the matter.
Although the detailed order is awaited, the decision comes as a crucial legal reprieve for the Palakkad MLA, who has been under scrutiny in three separate sexual assault cases.
Mamkootathil had already been shielded from arrest in this particular case since December 6, 2025, through interim protection. This was the first sexual assault FIR registered against him. In the two other cases, while he managed to secure interim relief in one, he was arrested in connection with the third and had spent over two weeks in custody before being granted regular bail.
The cases against the former MLA have sparked political controversy in Kerala, leading to his expulsion from the Congress party. With Thursday’s order, he now stands protected from arrest in two of the three cases, as he continues to battle the serious allegations in court.
