Actress Rini George hails action against Rahul Mamkoottathil as 'first step to justice'

Kochi, Dec 4 (PTI) Actress Rini George, who was the first to speak out against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil, said here on Thursday that the action taken against the legislator would be a first step towards justice.

In August, George, without naming Mamkoottathil, referred to misbehaviour by “a young leader,” which prompted an investigation and led several women — including the complainant who lodged a police case against the MLA for rape — to come forward.

“This is just a beginning step towards justice. I share the happiness of the victims, and I believe there are more people who have survived similar misconduct,” she told reporters.

Asked whether Congress attempted to protect Mamkoottathil, she declined to comment.

“As said in Sathyameva Jayathe, truth will always emerge,” she said.

George said she faced severe cyberattacks, claiming the allegations were fake.

“This is the first indication that the allegations were not false. I had to reveal the details after undergoing severe strain. But I am extremely happy that I could be a reason for other sisters to get justice,” she said.

Following the allegations by multiple women, including George, the Crime Branch initiated a probe.

However, as no directly affected person initially approached the police, the investigation stalled.

Only recently did the woman who was allegedly raped by Mamkoottathil approach the Chief Minister with a complaint, which led to the registration of a rape case against him.

Recently, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) also received an email from an unknown sender raising another rape allegation against the Palakkad MLA, and a separate case was registered.

Meanwhile, LDF and BJP leaders accused the Congress — especially MP Shafi Parambil — of protecting Mamkoottathil.

P Sarin, who contested from Palakkad as the LDF candidate against Mamkoottathil, alleged that a crime syndicate within the Congress backed the accused legislator.

He said there were three persons in the syndicate, and one of them distanced himself from Mamkoottathil six months ago. “That person, who is still called the Leader of Opposition in Kerala assembly, once placed his hand to bless Mamkoottathil but has now withdrawn it,” he said.

He said only one person in the syndicate has fallen.

“The third man, who is still helping him, must be investigated. The call records may extend to Delhi as the Parliament session is on. A woman in Congress revealed how that third person protected the sexual predator,” he added.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty wrote on Facebook that Mamkoottathil should resign from the MLA post.

“Should Palakkad constituency continue to be represented by Rahul Mamkoottathil, who has been expelled from the Congress and is an accused in a rape case? The Congress should insist on obtaining his resignation from the MLA post,” he said.

Addressing media, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Congress knew about Mamkoottathil’s alleged predatory behaviour but did nothing about it.

“The political culture of Congress is to come to power by giving false promises and then exploiting people when they are in power. This is not the first time Congress has been involved in such acts,” he said.

Industries Minister P Rajeev said women hesitated to raise their voices against Mamkoottathil because the Congress did not take corrective measures earlier.

“Instead, he was given new posts. Thus, women feared lodging complaints against him,” he told reporters.

Asked why CPI(M) has not taken any action against those facing similar allegations, Rajeev said they are not comparable to the Mamkoottathil case.

“Can you point out any case similar to this? By giving such justification, the attempt is to lighten the charges against the accused,” he said. PTI TBA TBA ROH