Kerala MLA held in 3rd rape case: CM Pinarayi Vijayan's urgent orders led to midnight arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil

T'PURAM: Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was arrested late Saturday night in connection with a third rape case, following the direct intervention of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.According to sources, the CM issued urgent instructions to the director general of police after receiving an emotional voice message from the complainant on Jan 8. In the message, the woman reportedly expressed fear for her family's safety and apprehension that any delay in arrest could pose a serious threat, prompting the govt to act swiftly. Police earlier planned to wait for the complainant's statement under Section 164 of the CrPC after her return from abroad.

However, this decision was set aside amid concerns that any delay could give the accused an opportunity to evade arrest.Following the CM's directive, the state police chief took the final decision around 8pm on Saturday. Mamkootathil was arrested around midnight in a highly confidential operation to prevent any leakage of information.The arrest was carried out under the direct supervision of AIG Poonkuzhali and involved only a small team of trusted officers.

As part of the process, the AIG recorded a preliminary statement from the complainant through video conferencing. The victim later submitted a detailed statement via email to the state police chief. To maintain secrecy, even members of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the cases were not informed. A proposal to seek assistance from local police in Pathanamthitta and Palakkad was also dropped. Police sources said the accused was unaware of the impending arrest until officers reached his hotel room. The confidential nature of the operation was aimed at preventing him from going underground.The complainant is expected to return to the state in the coming days to appear before the SIT and give a detailed statement. Police said they were determined to ensure the arrest was carried out before any move for bail.