Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil arrested in third sexual assault case| India News

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**Revised Title:** Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil Arrested in Third Rape Case Amid Expulsion from Party **Revised Article:** In a major development, expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was arrested on Sunday in connection with a third rape case. Mamkootathil, who was taken into custody from a hotel in Palakkad, was shifted to a police camp where he is being interrogated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The latest case, which was registered recently, involves a married woman from Pathanamthitta district who claims that Mamkootathil raped her after promising to marry her. The victim, who is currently in Canada, gave her statement to the police via video conference, alleging that Mamkootathil refused to take responsibility for her pregnancy and threatened her to undergo an abortion. This is the third case against Mamkootathil, who has been accused of rape and forcing a woman to undergo an abortion in the first case, and of rape in the second case. The Kerala High Court had granted interim protection from arrest to Mamkootathil in the first case, while a sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram granted him anticipatory bail in the second case. Following the allegations, the Congress expelled Mamkootathil from the party, but he successfully contested the by-election from Palakkad last year. The Palakkad District Congress Committee (DCC) president has said that Mamkootathil is no longer associated with the party and that it is up to him to decide whether he should resign from the MLA post. The arrest has sparked a debate, with BJP leader P K Krishnadas alleging that the Congress was standing more with Mamkootathil than with the victims. Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty has defended the government's action, saying that there were dozens of complaints against Mamkootathil and that the law will take its own course. The Kerala government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has been praised for taking a firm stance against influential personalities accused of crimes. Despite their influence, those accused of crimes have been brought before the law, setting a model for development and impartial justice.