Mamkoottathil denied the allegations against him, calling them politically motivated, in an anticipatory bail petition filed in a court on the same day.

The complainant had approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with her grievance on Thursday, after which the case was registered. As per the FIR, Mamkoottathil assaulted the complainant and raped her on multiple occasions.

A special investigation team has been constituted, and a lookout circular has been issued to prevent the accused from leaving the country. Mamkoottathil was suspended from the primary membership of the Congress on August 25.

He had earlier resigned as Youth Congress state president after Malayalam actress Rini Ann George accused a young leader of misbehaviour, prompting protests by the BJP and the DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI(M).

Subsequently, several women and a transgender person also levelled allegations against him.

Mamkoottathil was elected as MLA in November last year in a bypoll to the Palakkad seat, following the election of former MLA Shafi Parambil to the Lok Sabha from Vatakara.

The new allegations come at a time when the party is already under scrutiny over previous accusations levelled against the leader.