|
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Thursday welcomed the expulsion of MLA Rahul Mamkootathil from the party, saying the move is "good for Kerala's political atmosphere."
Speaking to ANI in Thrissur, K Muraleedharan said, "The court dismissed the petition of Rahul Mamkootathil... At the same time, he was expelled from the party, too. I welcome both decisions. Both are very good for the political atmosphere in Kerala... No, this will not affect the Congress party because the person who made the accusation was suspended from the party from the beginning. At the same time, two CPM members in jail, accused of the gold robbery in Shabirimala, are not suspended from the party... It will not affect Congress in the coming election. It will affect the Marxist Party because two of their accused are in jail. They are not suspended from the party..." 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. Police have 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)
|
