Thiruvananthapuram, March 19 (IANS) Expelled Congress Legislator Rahul Mamkootathil on Thursday secured relief after a local court here declined to cancel his anticipatory bail in one of the three rape cases registered against him, allowing him to remain out of custody for now.

The Thiruvananthapuram Judicial First Class Magistrate Court dismissed a plea by the prosecution seeking cancellation of bail, observing that the conditions imposed earlier would continue to remain in force.

However, the court issued a fresh direction asking Mamkootathil to delete all contact details of the survivor from his phones and submit an affidavit confirming compliance.

The order came after the complainant alleged that he had attempted to reach out to her, including through WhatsApp calls, which she said caused distress.

The prosecution argued that such attempts amounted to a violation of bail conditions.

The case is one among three serious sexual assault cases that have engulfed the young politician, leading to his expulsion from the Congress and a dramatic fall from what was once seen as a rising political trajectory.

In her statement, the survivor has leveled grave allegations, claiming that Mamkootathil established a relationship with her on the promise of marriage before subjecting her to sexual assault at a home stay.

She has also alleged that the assault was violent, causing physical injuries, and that it continued despite her experiencing panic attacks and breathlessness.

The controversy has effectively sidelined Mamkootathil from the political arena at a crucial juncture.

Kerala is set to go to the polls on April 9 to elect a new Assembly, and under different circumstances, Mamkootathil would have been actively campaigning to retain the Palakkad Assembly constituency.

He had won the seat in a November 2024 bye-election, securing the highest-ever victory margin in the constituency. Instead, the legal battles now threaten to define his immediate future, both politically and personally.

–IANS

sg/rad