Rahul Mankootathil Declines to Deny New Audio Allegedly Pressuring Woman for Abortion

Palakkad: Congress leader and MLA Rahul Mankootathil has refused to deny the authenticity of a newly surfaced audio clip in which he is allegedly heard pressuring a woman—who has accused him of sexual exploitation—to undergo an abortion. After the latest audio was released by the media, Rahul appeared before reporters but declined to answer questions regarding the recording. He stated only that “nothing new has come out” and that he was cooperating with the investigation.

However, despite repeated questions from journalists asking whether he was denying the audio was his, Rahul did not give a direct response. When asked if he planned to pursue a defamation case against the media if the recording was fake, Rahul replied that he would “look into it,” and moved away from further questions.

The new clip released on Monday reportedly contains WhatsApp messages and audio in which the woman questions why she is being asked to “kill the child” and reminds Rahul that it was not she who insisted on having a baby in the first place. The recording purportedly shows Rahul pressuring her to go to a hospital and terminate the pregnancy.

Messages allegedly sent earlier by Rahul—encouraging the woman to become pregnant and have a child—have also surfaced. According to the woman, Rahul later changed his stance and repeatedly demanded an abortion. She is heard asking why Rahul abandoned what she claims was originally his plan, while Rahul responds with abusive language rather than an explanation.

An earlier audio clip in which Rahul allegedly pressured the woman for an abortion and issued death threats had already been made public. To date, Rahul has not commented on any of the leaked chats or recordings.

Following complaints raised by women leaders within the Congress, the party announced that Rahul had been suspended from primary membership and that the party currently has “no connection” with him. However, he continues to appear actively in Congress-related events, including local election campaign.

Based on previously released audio and WhatsApp exchanges, the Crime Branch had registered a case against Rahul after receiving complaints via email from five individuals—none of whom were direct victims. The FIR submitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Judicial First Class Magistrate Court states that Rahul allegedly forced women to undergo abortions and that the victims ranged in age from 18 to 60.

Investigators have reportedly received information suggesting that two women may have undergone abortions, one of which was allegedly carried out in Bengaluru under coercion.

Rahul has not yet issued a formal statement addressing the latest allegations or the newly released audio.