Months-long under-the-radar investigation paved the way for Mamkootathil’s arrest

An under-the-radar investigation by the Kerala Police Crime Branch had led to the pre-dawn arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, on charges of rape and coerced medical termination of pregnancy from a hotel in his constituency in Palakkad early on Sunday (January 11, 2026).

A Crime Branch team is currently questioning Mr. Mamkootathil at an armed reserve camp in Pathanamthitta. Officials said the police have indicted Mr. Mamkootathil on charges of rape, coerced medical termination of pregnancy, financial extortion, cheating, confidence trickery, illegal detention, and obtaining sexual consent by deceitfully promising marriage. The Crime Branch will produce him before a magistrate in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta district, later today.

Officials said a third “me-too” disclosure, received by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office last year and processed secretly by the police over the past few months, helped investigators legally circumvent the interim protection from arrest Mr. Mamkootathil had obtained from the High Court in two earlier rape and coerced termination of pregnancy cases.

Investigators had subpoenaed the victim’s cell phone records, medical examination reports, and DNA test reports. They recorded the statements of those privy to the alleged relationship before registering a First Information Statement, which laid down the legal ground for Mr. Mamkootathil’s arrest.

Officials said the alleged offences occurred over several months, starting in April 2024. Officials said the woman accused Mr. Mamkootathil of brutalising her when she initially resisted his demands to abort the pregnancy.

Officials privy to the complaint said the victim accused Mr. Mamkootathil of befriending her on social media, obtaining her sexual consent by falsely promising marriage. However, investigators said, the relationship soured after the woman became pregnant and Mr. Mamkootathil backtracked on his promises.

. They said Mr. Mamkootathil had allegedly extracted large sums of money from the victim, including a rental deposit for a flat in his constituency in Palakkad. She had produced the bills and digital cash transaction records as proof, officials added.

The Crime Branch had secretly recorded the victim’s statement. The woman later deposed voluntarily and in camera before a Magistrate. Armed with the deposition, the Pathanamthitta police secretly recorded a First Information Report (FIR). They transferred the case to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch, led by Assistant Inspector General of Police G. Poonguzhali.

Notably, Ms. Poonguzhali has considerable experience as the nodal officer for victims who testified before the 2017 Justice Hema Committee, which recorded allegations of sexual favours for film roles and gender inequality and entrenched misogyny in the Malayalam film industry.

Mr. Mamkootathil had obtained interim protection from arrest from the High Court till January 21 in two similar rape cases registered against him last year. Nevertheless, the Crime Branch received legal opinion that the third FIR did not preclude the SIT from arresting the MLA.

A plainclothes Crime Branch team escorted by uniformed police officers led by the DySP, Shornur, knocked on Mr Mamkootathil’s hotel room at 12.45 a.m. They whisked him away in a police van to the armed reserve camp in Pathanamthitta.