Expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was taken into custody from a hotel room in Palakkad, Kerala, in the early hours of Sunday, January 11, 2026, in connection with a third sexual assault case. Police sources confirmed that Mamkootathil was apprehended around Saturday midnight and subsequently transported to a police camp in Pathanamthitta for formal arrest and further interrogation. The latest complaint, which marks the third sexual assault allegation against the former MLA, was filed by an NRI professional working abroad via email, who later recorded her statement online with the Special Investigation Team (SIT). The SIT, already probing two other cases of a similar nature against Mamkootathil, has also been entrusted with the investigation of this new complaint. Details from the third case reportedly involve allegations of rape under the pretext of a romantic relationship, forced abortion, and even financial exploitation. Prior to this arrest, the Congress party had expelled Mamkootathil from its primary membership following mounting allegations and multiple criminal cases against him. The Kerala High Court had previously granted him interim protection from arrest in the first case, and he had secured anticipatory bail in the second. His arrest comes amidst intensified legal scrutiny surrounding these grave accusations.