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Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday welcomed the expulsion of suspended MLA Rahul Mamkootathil from the party.
He said it sends a strong message and respects the sentiments of women, after serious allegations of sexual assault and rape were registered against him. Speaking to ANI in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennithala said, "I have been saying from the beginning that he should be expelled from the party. Now it has come true. Such people have no place in the Congress party. We have set an example for the entire country. I think we should respect the sentiments of women, so I think this expulsion from the party is a good step. This will send a good message." Earlier in the day, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph said that suspended MLA Rahul Mamkootathil has been expelled from the Congress after serious allegations were raised against him and the cases registered in connection with them. The Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court has also rejected Mamkootathil's request for anticipatory bail in the alleged rape case. Earlier, the police registered a case against MLA Rahul Mamkootathil based on a woman's complaint alleging sexual assault, rape on the pretext of marriage and forced abortion. The FIR, initially lodged at the Nedumangad Valiyamala Police Station, was later transferred to the Nemom Police Station as the alleged incidents occurred within its jurisdiction. The case has been registered under eight non-bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including Section 64 for rape, Section 64(2) for repeatedly committing rape on the same woman, Section 64(f) for rape by a person in a position of trust, Section 64(h) for rape on a woman knowing she is pregnant, and Section 64(m) for repeated rape on the same woman. It also includes Section 89 of the BNS for causing miscarriage without a woman's consent, BNS 316 for criminal breach of trust, and Section 68(e) of the Information Technology Act relating to transmission of offensive digital content. The offences cumulatively carry punishments ranging from ten years to life imprisonment. (ANI)
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