Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23 (IANS): Congress legislator Eldhose Kunnappilly on Saturday was suspended from the party for six months after the party did not find his explanation on the matter convincing and satisfactory.

Congress' Kerala unit president K. Sudhakaran said the party's disciplinary committee had held a meeting on this issue following which the top brass of the party decided to take action against him.

Kunnappilly has been asked to stay out of all activities of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, and also the Ernakulum district Congress committee.

He, however, has been given permission to be involved in the Perumbavor assembly constituency that he represents.

On Thursday, a court here granted him anticipatory bail in a rape and attempt to murder case filed by the police based on a complaint by a lady, who was once his friend.

He was on the run for 11 days and surfaced only after the court granted him anticipatory bail.

On Saturday, he appeared before the police probe team as directed by the court.

The police questioned him from morning till evening and has asked him to come back again on Monday.

The woman had claimed that Kunnappilly had taken her to several places, physically abused her and last month, tried to push her down a cliff at the famed Kovalam beach.