Thiruvananthapuram, 4 Dec (H.S.): Facing mounting public outrage and escalating internal pressure, the Congress party on Thursday expelled Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, shortly after a sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in a rape case. The decision marks one of the most severe disciplinary actions taken by the party in recent years.
The move came after senior Congress leaders — including Ramesh Chennithala, K. Muraleedharan, and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan — strongly urged the KPCC leadership to take decisive action. They warned that any delay or hesitation in dealing with Rahul could severely damage the party’s prospects in the upcoming local body elections. The AICC in-charge for Kerala, Deepa Das Munshi, was also firm that the party must demonstrate zero tolerance.
The crisis deepened further when another young woman from Bengaluru came forward with a fresh sexual assault allegation. Party sources indicated that more complainants may emerge, a possibility the leadership is no longer ruling out. The latest complaint was sent via email to both the Congress national leadership and KPCC president Sunny Joseph. In her letter, the complainant described the alleged assault as “brutal sexual violence.”
Following procedure, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph forwarded the email complaint to the State Police Chief for further action. Investigators have begun verifying the claims.
According to sources, the complainant is reportedly the same woman who had levelled accusations against Rahul earlier as well. The Crime Branch had previously contacted her for information. In her statement, she said that though she had known Rahul for several years, he re‑established contact in September 2023 through Instagram and later shifted communication to Telegram. She alleged that he used the renewed acquaintance to subject her to sexual abuse.
Meanwhile, Rahul has claimed that there is a conspiracy behind the allegations and has denied all wrongdoing. However, the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea — after an in-camera hearing — significantly weakened his defence, prompting the Congress to move swiftly.
With two separate complaints now under police scrutiny and public anger rising, the Congress leadership concluded that retaining Rahul would send a deeply damaging message. His expulsion signals an attempt by the party to distance itself from the controversy, reaffirm its stance on women’s safety, and minimise electoral fallout ahead of crucial polls.
The police investigation is continuing, and more details are expected to emerge in the coming days.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
