Apart from allegedly threatening to murder the complainant over the phone, rape-accused Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil also tried to pressure the woman into undergoing an abortion, claiming that he would die by suicide if she refused.
The prosecution reportedly informed the court that Palakkad MLA Mankootathil, the accused in the case of raping a young woman and intimidating her to have an abortion, had threatened to die by suicide by jumping off from her residence. According to the prosecution, Rahul Mamkoottathil, who is on the run, went to the complainant's house with a suicide threat.
A verdict on Rahul's anticipatory bail plea is expected later on Thursday. Although the Principal Sessions Court heard detailed arguments yesterday, the case was adjourned for further hearing after the Public Prosecutor stated that more documents would be submitted, Manorama Online said in a report. Meanwhile, the court has not stayed Rahul's arrest. The hearing will continue today in a closed courtroom (in-camera proceedings).
The prosecution presented documents to the court, including a doctor's statement, to establish that the rape and forced abortion occurred. The allegation against Rahul is that when a vulnerable woman approached him to discuss family issues, he took advantage of her and raped her. He then allegedly recorded her nude visuals, threatened her, and later intimidated her into undergoing an abortion, Manorama Online said.
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The defense's position is that the physical relationship was consensual and the abortion was performed with the woman's consent. The defense argued that the woman's actions of recording phone calls, chats, and taking screenshots were done with ulterior motives. They also claimed she was pressured by her workplace to file the complaint and that the complaint is the result of a CPM-BJP conspiracy.
A case under Sections 64(2)(f) (rape by a person in a position of trust or authority), 64(2)(h) (rape knowing the woman is pregnant), 64(2)(m) (repeated rape on the same woman), 89 (causing miscarriage without consent), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against the Palakkad MLA last week.
Police have also invoked Section 66(E) of the Information Technology Act for the alleged recording and threat of misuse of private images.
Subsequently, a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted and a lookout circular has been issued to prevent Mamkootathil from leaving the country.
