Kochi, Dec 2 The Kerala High Court on Friday upheld the anticipatory bail granted to Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly by a lower court.
It also dismissed two appeals against the anticipatory bail granted to Kunnappilly on October 20, by the Additional Sessions Judge- VII, Thiruvananthapuram.
While one appeal was moved by the state government, the complainant had filed the other.
Kunnappilly, a second time legislator from Perumbavoor constituency in Ernakulam district, is accused of committing offences, including repeatedly raping the same woman, attempt to murder, assaulting woman with intention to outrage her modesty based on the complaint filed by the alleged survivor with the police in September 2022.
In the appeal moved by the state, it argued that the Sessions Court went wrong in granting pre-arrest bail when the investigation was only in its initial stage.
It was submitted in the appeal that there was a long-standing relationship between Kunnappilly and the complainant. However, when the relationship became strained, Kunnappilly allegedly assaulted and raped her several times.
When the complainant refused to go with him to a particular rest house, Kunnappilly allegedly assaulted her and took her to 'Suicide Point' in Kovalam and threatened to kill her, reads the plea.
It was on these grounds that the state sought to quash the order granting anticipatory bail to Kunnappilly, but the court ruled otherwise, giving more relief to the beleaguered legislator who has been suspended from the Congress party for six months.
This fresh court order has come as a big relief not just for the legislator, but also for the Congress-led opposition which is gearing up to take on the Vijayan government at the upcoming special session of the Assembly starting on Monday.
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