A trans woman has accused Kerala MLA Rahul Mamkootathil of sexual harassment, alleging that he sent messages expressing a desire to rape her. The accusation adds to earlier allegations from Malayalam actor Rini Ann George and writer Honey Bhaskaran. Following these reports, Mamkootathil resigned as the state Youth Congress president.
The woman, identified as Avanthika, said they first met during an election debate, and what started as a friendly connection later turned uncomfortable through messages on social media. “He said we could go to Bengaluru or Hyderabad and do it,” she claimed, describing the messages as disturbing.
Earlier, Rini Ann George had accused a “youth leader” from a major political party of sending offensive messages and inviting her to a hotel. Though she did not name anyone, protests erupted at Mamkootathil’s office by BJP and DYFI members, demanding accountability.
Writer Honey Bhaskaran also named Mamkootathil, alleging repeated offensive messages and misrepresentation of their conversations, with complaints to the Youth Congress going unaddressed.
In his resignation, Mamkootathil stated he stepped down from the Youth Congress post to allow party workers to focus on upcoming elections. He emphasized that no party leader asked him to resign and described it as his personal responsibility.
Kerala Minister R Bindu reacted to the resignation, stating, “Many women have raised serious allegations against the young MLA Rahul Mamkootathil. It is urgent that he should resign as MLA. While he resigned from the Youth Congress post, stepping down as MLA is important to safeguard society.”