The Kerala Police have charged Congress legislator from Perumbavoor, Eldose P. Kunnappillil, with raping, abducting, assaulting and attempting to murder a woman acquaintance.
The Crime Branch submitted the chargesheet against the legislator and two of his associates at the Thiruvananthapuram District Court.
The politically sensational charge has its provenance in a complaint filed by a Thiruvananthapuram resident in 2022.
She alleged that Mr. Kunnappillil, an acquaintance of hers since 2017, had raped her at her home. She alleged the legislator was inebriated at the time of the offence. She alleged that Mr. Kunnappillil continued to prey on her sexually and threatened to kill her if she dared to complain.
According to the police chargesheet, matters came to a head when the MLA allegedly hustled her into a car and assaulted her on the way to a Kovalam beach resort in September the same year. Local people had mobbed the car on hearing the duo quarrelling. They allowed them to leave after both posed as husband and wife to avoid police intervention.
The Crime Branch also booked two of Mr. Kunnappillil’s associates on the charge of threatening the survivor to withdraw her petition.
A court had granted anticipatory bail to the MLA after the police booked him on rape, abduction and attempt to murder charges. Mr. Kunnappillil has claimed innocence and alleged the case was politically motivated.
