Jailed YC chief seeks Rs 1 crore damages from CPI (M) state secy

JAILED Kerala Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkoottahil on Saturday sent a lawyer notice to CPI(M) state secretary M. V. Govindan seeking Rs 1 crore as damages if he does not apologise within one week for his defamatory statement that the former submitted a fake medical certificate before the court to secure a bail.

Mamkoottahil was arrested by the Police from his house in Pathanamthitta district on Tuesday in connection with violence during the Youth Congress’ Secretariat march in December 2023.

After Mamkoottahil was produced in the court, he moved a bail plea, citing a medical certificate about his ailment.

The court asked Mamkoottahil to undergo a medical checkup during which he was found to be fit and sent to judicial custody.

On Wednesday, Govindan said that Mamkoottahil produced a “fake” medical certificate, irked over which the latter sent him the lawyer notice seeking Rs one crore as damages if the former does not apologise by calling a press conference in a week.

Two days after Mamkoottahil was arrested, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V. D. Satheesan said: “The Pinarayi Vijayan government tried its best to see that Mamkoottahil should not get bail and for that, they manipulated things.”

Satheesan alleged that it was done using a police official who “influenced” a medical officer who gave a medically fit certificate when it should have been given by the treating doctor.

Satheesan then said that they would deal with this “injustice” meted out to the arrest Mamkoottahil in the way it should be dealt and the notice to Govindan is the first step for it.

Mamkoottahil is presently lodged in a jail here.