The Neyyattinkara court on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, acquitted former Perumbavoor Congress legislator Eldhose Kunnappilly in a rape case that had overshadowed his political career for nearly three years and cost him his Assembly election ticket. The verdict delivers significant legal relief to the two-time Member of the Legislative Assembly, whose future within the Indian National Congress (INC) in Kerala had been in limbo since the allegations surfaced in 2022.

How the Acquittal Came About

The acquittal followed a dramatic turn in proceedings when the complainant, appearing before the court on Monday, retracted her earlier statement and told the court that Eldhose Kunnappilly had not sexually assaulted her. In all, four witnesses, including the complainant, turned hostile during the trial, effectively collapsing the prosecution's case.

The Thiruvananthapuram District Crime Branch had filed the charge sheet before the Neyyattinkara Sessions Court in May 2024, invoking serious charges including rape and attempt to murder. According to the charge sheet, Kunnappilly had allegedly sexually assaulted the complainant multiple times. Two of his associates were also named as accused, with the charge sheet alleging they threatened the complainant into withdrawing her complaint.

The Political Cost He Paid

The case had proved deeply damaging for Kunnappilly well before the verdict. The Congress high command denied him an Assembly election ticket for the April 2025 polls from Perumbavoor, citing the pending criminal proceedings. The decision was a public signal that the party was distancing itself from him at a time when it was aggressively targeting the then Left Democratic Front (LDF) government over women's safety and political accountability.

Though Kunnappilly was reportedly upset over being passed over, he subsequently fell in line and actively campaigned for the Congress candidate in Perumbavoor, who went on to win the seat.

What the Verdict Changes

Political observers in Kerala note that had the acquittal come even a few weeks earlier, Kunnappilly himself could have been in contention for the Perumbavoor seat. This comes amid broader questions within Congress circles about how the party manages the rehabilitation of leaders who have faced legal proceedings and been cleared.

With the court now having given him a clean chit, discussions about Kunnappilly's political comeback and future role in the party's Kerala unit are expected to gain momentum. Notably, this is a significant juncture for the Congress in Kerala as it consolidates its position following the Assembly election cycle.

Background and Broader Context

The allegations against Eldhose Kunnappilly first emerged in 2022, triggering widespread political attention and placing the Congress in an uncomfortable position. The case became a flashpoint at a time when women's safety was a dominant political issue in Kerala. The party's eventual decision to withhold his ticket was seen as a pragmatic response to both the legal cloud and the reputational risk.

The acquittal, driven by witnesses turning hostile, will inevitably invite scrutiny over the conduct of the trial and the circumstances under which the complainant changed her statement — questions that go beyond Kunnappilly's individual political fortunes.