Kerala MLA M Vincent gets conditional bail in rape case

Vincent, a first-time legislator, represents the Kovalam assembly constituency. He was arrested on July 22.
Kerala MLA M Vincent gets conditional  bail in rape case
Kerala MLA M Vincent gets conditional bail in rape case
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Congress legislator M Vincent, who was arrested on charges of raping and stalking a 51-year-old woman in Kerala, obtained conditional bail on Thursday, officials said.

The Thiruvananthapuram Principal Sessions Court granted the bail to the legislator on the condition that he would not enter the ward where the complainant resides and was warned not to try to influence the case in any manner.

Vincent, a first-time legislator, represents the Kovalam assembly constituency. He was arrested on July 22.

After the trial court rejected his bail last month, he approached the Thiruvananthapuram District Court but could not obtain the bail.

This is the first time a legislator in Kerala has been arrested for sexual assault and the Congress-led Opposition had accused the ruling CPI (M), and its leaders of framing him.

The victim, who is from Balaramapuram, attempted to end her life on July 19 after the MLA allegedly raped her. The police had earlier booked Vincent for abatement of suicide based on the husband's statement as her condition was critical.

She is presently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Neyyatinkara after consuming an overdose of blood pressure tablets.

According to reports, the Kovalam MLA has called the woman 900 times in five months.

“In the statement given by her husband, it is said that the MLA used to call the woman over the phone. Her husband had even warned him once. He had also gone to the MLA’s house and told his wife about this. But still, the MLA continued to call her,” the police had earlier told TNM. An audio clip allegedly of a telephonic conversation between the MLA and the woman has been leaked but the authenticity of it is yet be verified.

While the police recorded the survivor’s statement, they have also recorded the statement of a nun, a vicar and her brother, who had been informed by the victim about the rape.

Based on the woman’s statement, the police slapped rape charges against Vincent on Friday.

The case was first investigated by DySP Neyyatinkara B Harikumar but was handed over to the Kolam City Police Commissioner Ajitha Beegum on Thursday, as the accused is an MLA.

The police sought the permission of the Speaker on Friday to question Vincent. A Congress MLA, Vincent defeated MLA Jameela Prakasham of the Janatha Dal (Secular) in the 2016 May Assembly Election.

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