After 2 weeks in hiding, MLA Rahul Mamkoothathil turns up to vote in Kerala polls

Palakkad: Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil arrived to cast his vote here during the second phase of the Kerala local body elections on Thursday.

Rahul arrived to cast his vote at around 4.50 pm at St. Sebastian’s School in Kunnathurmedu, which comes under the Palakkad Municipality.

Mamkootathil went into hiding soon after the sexual assault complaint surfaced and has remained missing for two weeks. While the Kerala High Court had earlier granted him interim protection from arrest in the first case, the Sessions Court on Wednesday granted him anticipatory bail in the second case. He was expelled from the party on December 4.

The Palakkad MLA turned up to vote after he secured protection from arrest in the two cases of sexual assault against him.

Mamkootathil was absconding for the last more than two weeks after the first FIR was registered against him for sexual assault and forced abortion.

After casting his vote, as the MLA stepped out of the booth, he was surrounded by reporters who bombarded him with questions regarding where he was hiding till now and what he has to say about the allegations against him.

Mamkootathil finally responded that what he had to say was before the court.

Thereafter, he immediately left the polling booth in a vehicle with the MLA board as activists of the CPM's youth wing -- DYFI -- held up placards with photos of cradles and roosters and hooted at him.

The Palakkad MLA is also facing a second case of sexual assault based on a complaint by another woman, a resident of Bengaluru.

In the first case, he was granted interim protection from arrest by the Kerala High Court and in the second he secured anticipatory bail from a sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram. 

(with inputs from PTI)