Congress Expels Rape-Accused MLA, Kerala Police Hunt Continues

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The Kerala Congress has expelled Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, a 36-year-old first-time MLA, after a district court in Thiruvananthapuram rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Mamkootathil is accused of rape, forcing a woman to abort, and issuing verbal threats among other serious charges. Two women have come forward with allegations of rape and physical assault. The Kerala Pradesh Congress committee chief, Sunny Joseph, stated that Mamkootathil has been expelled from the party, citing a collective decision by the Congress leadership. The decision comes after Mamkootathil's bail plea was dismissed by the Thiruvananthapuram district sessions court. The court's order was based on evidence submitted by the special investigation team, including statements from doctors and forensic results of audio recordings. Mamkootathil had argued that he was the victim of a political conspiracy to end his career, but the Congress leadership has denied shielding him, saying they handed over the complaint to the police as soon as serious charges arose. The party has called for Mamkootathil to resign as MLA. The Kerala police has launched a statewide manhunt, with lookout notices issued at airports in neighboring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to prevent Mamkootathil from fleeing the country. A man who drove Mamkootathil to Bengaluru last week has been detained. The expulsion is seen as a significant move by the Congress, which has faced criticism for not taking stern action against Mamkootathil earlier. The party's decision is being viewed as a model for other parties to follow in cases of serious allegations against their leaders.