Thiruvananthapuram, 06 March (H.S.):A petition seeking the cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to MLA Rahul Mankootathil in a second sexual assault case will come up for hearing today before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram.
The prosecution has moved the court demanding that the bail granted to the legislator be revoked in connection with a complaint filed by a woman from Bengaluru who accused him of sexual assault. According to the prosecution, the MLA allegedly violated the conditions of his bail by contacting the complainant through a WhatsApp call, an act that is said to be prohibited under the terms of the anticipatory bail order.
Officials stated that the complaint regarding the WhatsApp call was submitted by the woman to the police, following which the prosecution approached the court arguing that the alleged communication constituted a breach of the bail conditions. Based on this allegation, the prosecution has urged the court to cancel the anticipatory bail granted to Mankootathil and allow the investigation to proceed without the protection of bail.
The case has drawn significant attention in political and legal circles, particularly as it involves a sitting legislator and allegations of misconduct. Legal experts say that courts take violations of bail conditions seriously, especially in cases where the accused is accused of contacting or influencing the complainant or witnesses.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed a separate petition seeking to restrain the Kerala Legislative Assembly’s Ethics Committee from initiating proceedings against the MLA in connection with the allegations.
The High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Soumen Sen clarified that the court would not interfere in the matter before the Speaker of the Assembly takes a decision. The bench observed that the judiciary would refrain from intervening at this stage in the internal proceedings of the legislature.
The petition challenging the Ethics Committee proceedings had been filed by advocate Kulathoor Jayasingh. In his plea, he argued that merely being an accused in a criminal case does not automatically make a person guilty and therefore sought a stay on the inquiry initiated by the Ethics Committee based on a complaint filed by MLA D.K. Murali.
However, the High Court declined to grant the relief sought, allowing the legislative process to continue independently. With the anticipatory bail cancellation plea now scheduled for hearing, the outcome of the proceedings could play a crucial role in determining the immediate legal course of action against the MLA as investigations continue.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
