Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 1
As the Kerala Police's Crime Branch that has begun recording the statements of complainants in the case against Congress legislator Rahul Mamkootathil, who faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment, support has started to grow for him from the party.
The deposition of advocate Shinto, one of the complainants, was officially recorded, marking the first concrete step in the inquiry.
The allegations surfaced last month through a series of media reports and public revelations.
Based on these, petitions were filed at various police stations across Kerala, leading to the registration of six complaints against the first-time MLA.
Investigators clarified, however, that the women involved have not filed direct complaints so far, requirement for the cases to stand legal scrutiny.
The team is also examining the authenticity of audio recordings linked to the allegations and plans to approach the individuals concerned for statements.
According to the probe team, the investigation can proceed meaningfully only if the alleged victims themselves come forward with formal complaints and evidence.
Meanwhile, protests demanding Mamkootathil's resignation continue to gather momentum.
In Palakkad, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) -- youth wing of the CPI-M, has intensified its agitation.
Both the DYFI and the Bharatiya Janata Party have declared that Mamkootathil will be blocked from entering the Assembly constituency until he resigns.
It was in November last year that he won a resounding victory at the Palakkad Assembly by-election.
The political response has, however, been divided.
Last month, immediately after the allegations surfaced, the Congress leadership asked Mamkootathil to step down from his role as the Kerala Youth Congress President.
Yet, support for the embattled MLA is beginning to grow within the party.
On Monday, United Democratic Front (UDF) Convenor Adoor Prakash said: "Not a single complaint has been received directly, so what is the issue?"
Senior Congress leader and former Minister K.C. Joseph echoed this sentiment, saying that it was the Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer's responsibility to ensure the Congress legislator could participate in the Assembly session, since "not a single case exists against him".
Veteran Congress leader K. Muraleedharan also backed Mamkootathil, noting that the Treasury bench MLA Mukesh is already out on bail in a similar case, and therefore there should be "no bar" on the Congress legislator attending the Assembly session.
With the probe in its early stages, protests on the streets, and political leaders rallying both for and against him, the case against Mamkootathil is fast emerging as a test of accountability and political credibility in Kerala's legislative arena.
