Thiruvananthapuram: A Thiruvanthapuram court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of first-time Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, after two days of continuous hearing in the closely watched sexual assault case against him.

No sooner did the court reject Mamkootathil’s plea, state Congress President Sunny Joseph put out a statement announcing that he had been expelled from the party. Incidentally, Mamkootathil was sworn in as an MLA this day last year.

The court order came even as the MLA remained untraceable for the eighth straight day, deepening the political and legal crisis engulfing the Congress in Kerala.

Police have been searching for him since a young woman filed a complaint accusing him of sexual exploitation and pressuring her to terminate a pregnancy.

Mamkootathil

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