Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 2: The hunt for first-time Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who has been absconding since a sexual assault case was registered against him, entered its sixth day on Tuesday.

The case was filed after a woman submitted a complaint directly to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prompting the Kerala Police to launch an intensive search amid mounting pressure from the ruling Left government to secure his arrest before his anticipatory bail plea is heard on Wednesday.

Mamkootathil vanished from public view within hours of the case being registered, and multiple police teams are now searching possible hideouts, including locations in Coimbatore and Bengaluru.

His disappearance has triggered a political storm, with the Left and the BJP accusing the Congress of shielding the absconding legislator.

BJP leader Prashanth Sivan on Tuesday alleged that the red car reportedly used by Mamkootathil to escape had been stored months earlier at the residence of a Congress leader who had hosted a group meeting in support of Rahul.

He further claimed that the state police were conducting only a “cosmetic investigation” under the influence of the CPI(M) leadership.

“This is a superficial probe meant to throw dust in people’s eyes. Congress leaders are protecting an MLA who stands accused of serious abuse. What message are they giving to the women of Kerala?” he asked, adding that there were reasons to suspect that Mamkootathil was being sheltered in the homes of Congress leaders in Palakkad.

Senior Congress leader and KPCC general secretary C. Chandran, however, dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated”.

He said he had no connection with the red car, adding that he had used Mamkootathil’s four-wheeler only once to travel to the hospital when his own vehicle was under repair.

“The party has already taken action against Mamkootathil. Claims that Congress leaders are protecting him are baseless,” he said.

Meanwhile, investigators are probing whether any Congress functionary aided Mamkootathil’s disappearance.

They have recorded statements from the complainant’s friends, one of whom said the woman was in severe physical and emotional distress following an abortion.

While public activist Rahul Eashwar was jailed on Monday for his alleged curt remarks against the victim, the police have registered 20 cyber-abuse cases related to online attacks against the complainant.

With political tensions escalating and the red-car trail being closely examined, the pressure on the police to locate the missing MLA has intensified as the crucial bail hearing approaches.

New Delhi, Dec 2: A total of 84 missing or kidnapped individuals, including 30 children, were traced and reunited with their families in November under ‘Operation Milap’ carried out by the South West District Police in the national capital, officials said on Tuesday.

With this, the total number of rescued missing or kidnapped people by the district police this year has reached 1,201, comprising 399 children and 802 adults.

According to a statement issued by the police, search operations were initiated immediately upon receiving reports of missing or kidnapped persons.

Local enquiries played a significant role in the efforts, along with checking CCTV footage and circulating photographs of the missing individuals and suspects at auto stands, e-rickshaw stands, bus stops, and railway stations.

Officials added that enquiries were also conducted with bus drivers, conductors, and vendors to track the movements of the missing persons. Local informers were roped in, while records from nearby police stations and hospitals were thoroughly examined.

During this period, the staff of Police Station (PS) Kapashera traced nine missing children — one boy and eight girls — aged between 10 and 18 years. They also located 14 missing adults, including eight men and six women.

The team from PS Palam Village traced four missing children, two boys and two girls, in the same age group. They also found five missing adults, including two males and three females.

The staff of PS Vasant Kunj North located two missing girls aged 10 to 18 years, along with two missing adults — one male and one female — who were also reunited with their families.

Personnel from PS Sagarpur traced eight missing persons, comprising three men and five women.

Two missing girls aged between 10 and 18 years were traced by PS Kishangarh, in addition to seven missing adults, including four men and three women.

The staff of PS Vasant Kunj South located three missing children — two boys and one girl — in the 10 to 18 age bracket, along with five missing adults, comprising three males and two females.

PS R.K. Puram traced one missing minor girl and one missing male, both of whom were reunited with their families.

PS Vasant Vihar traced four missing children — two boys and two girls — aged between 10 and 18 years. They also located two missing adults, one male and one female.

PS Sarojini Nagar traced one missing minor girl and one missing male.

PS S.J. Enclave located two missing girls aged between 10 and 18 years and five missing adults, including three men and two women.

One missing male was traced by PS South Campus and reunited with his family.

PS Delhi Cantt located two missing girls aged 10 to 18 years and three missing adults, including one male and two females.

All individuals recovered during the operation were successfully reunited with their families.

“Under ‘Operation Milap’, South-West District Police reaffirmed their commitment to public service by ensuring the safe return of 84 missing individuals to their homes. Their compassionate approach, coupled with methodical investigations and swift action, brought hope and relief to many grieving families,” officials said.

Mumbai: In the death by suicide of a 17-year-old college student, the Andheri Government Railway Police (GRP) have filed a case against eight unidentified cyber fraudsters for alleged abetment. The teen was hit by a train at Jogeshwari railway station on January 21. The case was filed based on the father’s complaint and the digital evidence extracted from the boy’s phone.

The victim, Vignesh Chougule, a first-year student at Shri Mumbadevi Junior College of Commerce and Science, died after trespassing on the tracks. What initially appeared as an accidental death was revealed to be a suicide driven by an online task scam, according to the police investigation. The GRP first registered an Accidental Death Report after being alerted about a boy being struck by a train.

Vignesh had not returned home by 10 pm, prompting his father to look for him, who was alerted by a friend who received information from an ambulance driver about a boy matching Vignesh’s description. Vignesh’s father, Nilesh Chougule, 46, identified his son at Cooper Hospital. A police officer said, “We investigated various angles like loans or relationships, but found no suicide note. The clue came from his phone activity—he was involved in an online task scam.”

A forensic examination of the phone revealed that on December 30, 2024, Vignesh was contacted on WhatsApp by persons offering part-time work for online Google rating tasks. After completing initial tasks and receiving a small payment, he was added to a Telegram account named ‘Tax Commissioner’. The fraudsters then instructed him to pay Rs49,000 to complete advanced tasks, promising higher returns.

Vignesh paid the amount but received nothing back. Nilesh told the police that this continuous pressure and harassment over the lost money pushed his son into extreme distress. “The investigation revealed the boy was under severe stress due to the money lost in the scam, which led him to take his own life,” a senior officer confirmed.