The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in the first of three alleged sexual assault cases registered against him, as reported by news agency ANI.
Although the court noted that the allegations against him did not prima facie establish a case of rape, it imposed strict conditions for his anticipatory bail, including a mandate that he must not leave Kerala and must surrender both his passport and mobile phone to investigators, while being strictly prohibited from contacting the complainant or influencing witnesses.
The anticipatory bail has also ensured his protection from arrest in all three current cases.
In November 2025, a rape case was registered against Mamkootathil after a woman lodged a complaint with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, after a purported audio recording of a conversation between the two surfaced online.
Chief Minister Vijayan promptly forwarded the complaint to the State Police Chief for necessary action. The case has been filed against the 36-year-old MLA from Palakkad, invoking charges of rape and coercion to terminate a pregnancy under relevant provisions of law.
Meanwhile, the MLA denied all the accusations and said that he would seek all legal measures to defend himself against all odds.
“As long as I am sure I have not committed a crime, I will fight legally. Will prove everything before the court of law and also before the people. Truth will win,” he wrote on Facebook.
Meanwhile, several other complaints of sexual harassment also surfaced against the Palakkad MLA. The Kerala Police started investigating and arrested him on January 11 at a hotel in Palakkad after conducting a raid.
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