The Aryavarth Express
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Activist Rahul Easwar, detained on November 30 for allegedly defaming and revealing the identity of the woman who accused suspended Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil of rape, has described his legal battle as a “freedom struggle for men.”
Easwar, who was arrested on Monday, alleged that police violated Supreme Court guidelines while acting against him in the sexual assault case connected to the Congress MLA.
Speaking to reporters while being taken for a medical examination, he said, “This is a freedom struggle for men, and this is against the Arnesh Kumar verdict. Police claim they served me notice, but they never did. This is a blatant disregard of the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
His comments came after Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police detained him on the basis of a complaint filed by the survivor, who alleged that Easwar had insulted her on social media. His arrest followed a series of investigative developments in the high-profile case involving the suspended legislator.
Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kerala Police conducted a joint search at Mamkootathil’s flat in Palakkad on Sunday, collecting evidence as part of the ongoing probe. On Monday morning, investigators from Thiruvananthapuram arrived at the Palakkad Crime Branch office, after which officers from both units carried out coordinated inspections at the MLA’s residence and nearby locations.
Mamkootathil, the MLA from Palakkad, faces serious charges including rape, repeated sexual assault, criminal intimidation, and causing miscarriage without consent, all registered under multiple non-bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). His close associate Joby Joseph has been named the second accused for allegedly administering abortion pills to the survivor while driving her in a car.
According to the FIR, the survivor was allegedly assaulted on March 4 this year at her Thrikkannapuram flat in Thiruvananthapuram. The complaint states that the MLA later recorded explicit videos without her consent after threatening her.
The MLA remains untraceable, prompting police to issue a lookout notice and conduct a statewide search, with one team pursuing leads in Tamil Nadu. The case gathered momentum after the survivor submitted a formal complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on November 27.
Mamkootathil has filed an anticipatory bail plea before the Thiruvananthapuram Sessions Court, with the hearing scheduled for Wednesday, December 3.
He has already been suspended from the Congress party, while opposition parties including the BJP and CPI(M) continue to demand his immediate resignation from the Assembly.
