Rahul Mamkootathil, a sitting Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Palakkad constituency, was arrested in the early hours of Sunday, January 11, 2026, in connection with a fresh complaint of sexual assault. This marks the third rape complaint registered against Mamkootathil. The arrest was carried out by the State Crime Branch in Palakkad after a detailed complaint was received via email from a woman based in Canada, who provided her statement via video conference. The allegations against Mamkootathil are grave, including brutal sexual assault, coercion leading to a forced abortion, and financial exploitation. Following the registration of this third case, his legal situation intensified, leading to his arrest despite having secured interim protection from arrest in the first case and anticipatory bail in the second. It is important to note that while the headline refers to him as an 'MLA', Rahul Mamkootathil was expelled from the Indian National Congress party on December 4, 2025, due to multiple sexual predation allegations. However, expulsion from a party does not automatically disqualify a sitting legislator from his assembly seat. The Kerala Assembly Speaker, A.N. Shamseer, has indicated that his office is seeking legal opinion on initiating disqualification proceedings against Mamkootathil, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the ethical concerns surrounding his continuation as a legislator. This development has drawn significant political and public attention across Kerala.