A Bengaluru court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Thursday. The action pertains to a case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against him. 81-year-old leader faces an FIR under the POCSO Act, 2012 over the alleged sexual assault case of a minor girl. Yediyurappa has also sought anticipatory bail from a special court, known as the People's Representative Court, in an effort to avoid arrest in a case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. BS Yediyurappa office stated that an arrest warrant is also issued against him.
What's the case?
Yediyurappa, who has held various key positions in the state government, now faces substantial legal challenges as the court seeks to ensure his appearance in connection with these grave allegations. According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February 2 this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru. The 54-year-old woman, who had leveled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital here last month, due to lung cancer.
CID investigating the case
The matter is currently being invesigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Earlier, the CID had issued a summons for Yediyurappa to appear for questioning. In response, he sought additional time to present himself before the investigating officer. According to sources close to him, Yediyurappa is presently in Delhi and likely to join the probe after he returns. As per the FIR, the alleged offence took place on February 2 in Bengaluru and the FIR was filed by a police station in the city.
Yediyurappa denies charges against him
It should be noted here that Yediyurappa has denied the charge and said he would fight the case legally. In April, the CID collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office. Meanwhile, the government has appointed Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ashok H Nayak to represent the CID in the case. Yediyurappa has moved the court seeking quashing of the FIR.
(With inputs from PTI)
