Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 2 The hunt for first-time Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who has been absconding since a sexual assault case was registered against him, entered its sixth day on Tuesday.
The case was filed after a woman submitted a complaint directly to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prompting the Kerala Police to launch an intensive search amid mounting pressure from the ruling Left government to secure his arrest before his anticipatory bail plea is heard on Wednesday.
Mamkootathil vanished from public view within hours of the case being registered, and multiple police teams are now searching possible hideouts, including locations in Coimbatore and Bengaluru.
His disappearance has triggered a political storm, with the Left and the BJP accusing the Congress of shielding the absconding legislator.
BJP leader Prashanth Sivan on Tuesday alleged that the red car reportedly used by Mamkootathil to escape had been stored months earlier at the residence of a Congress leader who had hosted a group meeting in support of Rahul.
He further claimed that the state police were conducting only a "cosmetic investigation" under the influence of the CPI(M) leadership.
"This is a superficial probe meant to throw dust in people's eyes. Congress leaders are protecting an MLA who stands accused of serious abuse. What message are they giving to the women of Kerala?" he asked, adding that there were reasons to suspect that Mamkootathil was being sheltered in the homes of Congress leaders in Palakkad.
Senior Congress leader and KPCC general secretary C. Chandran, however, dismissed the allegations as "politically motivated".
He said he had no connection with the red car, adding that he had used Mamkootathil's four-wheeler only once to travel to the hospital when his own vehicle was under repair.
"The party has already taken action against Mamkootathil. Claims that Congress leaders are protecting him are baseless," he said.
Meanwhile, investigators are probing whether any Congress functionary aided Mamkootathil's disappearance.
They have recorded statements from the complainant's friends, one of whom said the woman was in severe physical and emotional distress following an abortion.
While public activist Rahul Eashwar was jailed on Monday for his alleged curt remarks against the victim, the police have registered 20 cyber-abuse cases related to online attacks against the complainant.
With political tensions escalating and the red-car trail being closely examined, the pressure on the police to locate the missing MLA has intensified as the crucial bail hearing approaches.
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