Rape accused Congress MLA denied bail

: Congress MLA M Vincent, arrested on charges of raping a woman and driving her to attempt suicide, was denied bail today by a court here.
A Neyyattinkara magisterial court denied bail to the Congress MLA saying he can not be enlarged at this juncture as the probe into the case against him is still at initial stage.
Vincent, who represents Kovalam constituency in the state assembly, was taken today to the sub-jail in Neyyattinkara near here after the end of his one-day custody to the police.
The court had sent him to one-day police custody yesterday. He was remanded earlier to 14-day judicial custody after his arrest on July 22.

A 51-year-old woman, who attempted to commit suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills last Wednesday, has accused Vincent of raping her.
Police questioned Vincent at the MLA hostel here on July 22 and arrested him based on a complaint from the woman's husband.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front opposition has maintained that it was a politically motivated case.
KPCC president M M Hassan today alleged that CPI(M)-led LDF government was politicising sexual harassment cases and demanded an impartial inquiry into the case against Vincent.
Addressing the Mahila Congress state committee meeting here, he also accused the state government of misusing the Women Protection Act to frame the legislator.

"The CPI(M) is trying to take political advantage over the issue," he alleged.